A Tale of Love and Loss
by Aralain
Summary: Moriko is determined to remain a shinobi. She doesn't want to be subjected to the life of the clan, used only for breeding strong shinobi to carry on the clan's will of fire. She wants her own will of fire to burn just as bright as any other shinobi in Konoha. GaixOC Chapter 7 posted
1. Chapter 1

A Tale of Love and Loss

Maito Gai/Original Character

Disclaimer: The fandom is Naruto and it of course does not belong to me along with many of the characters portrayed. I will do my best to remain true to the characters.

Chapter: A Team is Formed

Moriko glanced at Katsuko, a grin coming over her face as she raised her goggles, pulling them down to hang around her neck. She glanced back at their sensei who was watching her closely. Katsuko looked her way with a questioning look, a look of almost-warning. Moriko laughed, jumping into the air and spinning in a graceful backflip, throwing out three kunai and a handful of shuriken.

"Look out Kouichi-sensei!" she called playfully, jumping off with her commendable speed. She knew he'd catch her, but she was getting faster and she wasn't about to make it easy for him. The ten-year-old genin pressed a button on her stopwatch. She had to beat one-hundred-and-sixty-seven seconds which was two minutes and forty-seven seconds. That was how long it took last time.

Katsuko jumped in front of her with a serious expression, surprising her teammate, but it didn't hold her up long. She jumped, landing a hand on either of Katsuko's shoulders and pushing off hard. Her teammate was left unmoved, and she was given an extra push with the chakra-filled move. She landed on her feet upon the next branch she came to and jumped off hard, sending as much chakra to her feet as she was able. The branch cracked under her feet, but she didn't slow. She felt his chakra signature blaring behind her.

She knew better than to drop to the ground. She was already outmatched. Her sensei was a special jounin after all. She would be ending her chase in an instant if she dropped to the earth below. Her sensei's second specialty was earth-element jutsu, following only his fire jutsu. She stuck to the trees, jumping straight up in the air as she felt a gust of wind. She looked down, her kekkei genkai activated as a gust of wind tore through the trees below her. She grinned wildly, not having seen that jutsu before. The laughter bubbled up within her, but she swallowed it down, jumping right, just as her sensei came flying up with a serious look on his face.

"One-hundred-and-twenty-five seconds Kouichi-sensei!" she grinned. He leapt towards her. Her eyes widened at the speed. "Fast," she whispered, but she performed a swift set of hand-seals and he was forced to back away as she sucked in a large breath and blew out hard, spitting fireballs that went flying at him. She had used more chakra than ever before and consequently the fireballs were larger than ever before. She frowned as she blinked and he appeared behind her. She tried to perform another jutsu quickly, but there wasn't time. She felt a kunai bite at her skin gently.

"You're dead," he said, darkly. She frowned in frustration. He reached for the stopwatch around her neck, clicking the button as she balanced upon the tall branch of the tree, looking out over the forest. They could see Konoha ahead from up here. "Next time your enemy comes that close to you, don't waste you're time with a jutsu. Fight him like a true shinobi," he said, pushing her hard from the branch with his open hand. "One-hundred and fifty-five seconds. You haven't been training very hard obviously," he said, coolly tossing her stopwatch to her.

She spun hard, her movements as fast as his. She caught the stopwatch in her left hand, right coming up as she jumped his way. Her kunai met his and she pushed back hard, glaring at him. "To prove myself, I shall perform five-hundred laps around Konoha when we return!"

"Moriko! You can't be serious!" Katsuko grumbled softly from behind her.

"Of course I am serious. I do not break my word, Katsu-chan! I am Uchiha Moriko future ANBU Captain of the greatest village in the world and if I am not jounin by fourteen years of age, I shall give up being a shinobi forever!"

"Moriko, that's ridiculous! Four years is too short of time to become a jounin, especially for a kunoichi and there is no way you will ever be ANBU," Katsuko argued, her calculating blue eyes narrowing on her teammate. She was of course used to her teammate's ridiculous promises, but they didn't cease to irritate her in any case.

"Don't worry Katsu-chan. I will not let you down," she said, with a grin. "Tsunade-sama has been a jounin since she was fourteen years old and I wish to become a great kunoichi just like her!"

"Tsunade-sanin was a medic. You are not," Katsuko reminded her seriously.

"I don't need to be a medic with an amazing teammate like you!" Moriko grinned.

"If you are done interrupting our mission, Moriko, we have about six minutes to get to the hokage's office," Kouichi-sensei sighed.

"Gomen, Kouichi-sensei, we must of course complete our mission" Moriko said scratching the back of her head. Her black hair fell down her back, her bangs spilling over her Konohagakure headband while it was half-tied back to keep it from her face.

"If you can call that a mission," Katsuko whispered, as they all leapt off.

"Kouichi-sensei, Katsu-chan's right. When will hokage-sama give us a real mission? I'm sick of weeding gardens and chasing down lost animals," Moriko complained.

"When the two of you receive a new teammate you are likely to pick up a few decent missions," Kouichi-sensei said, glancing at them. Moriko's face grew dark and cloudy, her carefree smile drawing into a small frown. "It will be nothing high-ranking, but enough to hopefully shut you up for a while."

Katsuko chuckled softly, glancing at her Uchiha teammate whose eyes were still dark. "Nothing will accomplish that feat, Kouichi-sensei. You know Moriko can't be keep quiet for long," Katsuko said, nudging her teammate who suddenly snapped back to her carefree self.

"Anything I say is spoken in the spirit of a true shinobi with a will of fire!" Moriko cried, frowning. Her sensei and teammate were not the most talkative. Kouichi-sensei rarely spoke on missions and anything Katsuko said was generally softly-spoken. The girl could be rather harsh and negative towards others, but if she did say it, it was always just loud enough for Moriko to hear.

"Of course we both appreciate you taking all the responsibility of filling the silence with meaningless chatter upon yourself Moriko. It's really quite kind of you," Katsuko said, with a smirk. Moriko scowled, turning her head away from her friend and teammate, but Kouichi-sensei was only smirking on her other side. the silence reigned for another minute or so, before Moriko couldn't stand it any longer.

"Aren't you excited to get back? Those three days in the border villages working on those boring farms was so long! It's nothing I can't handle of course. I admit that I am tired, which simply means I'll have to work twice as hard at improving my stamina. Kouichi-sensei, will you help me train tomorrow?" Moriko rambled. Katsuko slapped her hand to her forehead, shaking her head.

"What?" Moriko huffed.

"You remember the Uchiha festival tomorrow night don't you? You're Uchiha. You must attend," Katsuko said, with a smirk. "That also means that you get to wear..." Moriko groaned.

"Why do I have to wear those stupid kimonos?" she grumbled, darkly.

"If you make chuunin soon it won't matter anymore. The Uchiha do not make chuunin or above dress in traditional attire," Kouichi-sensei reminded her. Moriko nodded, dully... then she froze.

"Chuunin! Ichi-sensei, you believe Moriko will be a chuunin in six months!?" Katsuko questioned with alarm

"Yosh, I knew I would not fail. I must try ten times as hard. If I am not chuunin in three months I will train twice as much every day. Yosh!" she cried, pumping her fist into the air.

"He said six months, Moriko!" Katsuko exclaimed. "Besides, is it even possible for you to double your training time?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"My average training time during a day is 9.54 hours," Moriko proclaimed, pulling her precious stopwatch out of her shirt and waving it at her teammate, who rolled her eyes turning her attention away from her overenthusiastic teammate to their much calmer sensei.

"Really, Kouichi-sensei? Chuunin?" Katsuko questioned. She quite obviously didn't believe him. After all, Moriko was two full years her junior and she acted like it. Moriko raised her hand to knock her teammate on the head for being doubtful, but Katsuko leapt aside, neither breaking their run.

"Your reflexes have improved Katsu-chan!" Moriko said with a light laugh.

"You should be picking up a better mission load which will improve your chances of proving your competencies, provided your new teammate doesn't cause any setbacks. He has just graduated the academy. He is a bit younger than you, but he is apparently very gifted" Kouichi-sensei explained.

"Who is it Kouichi-sensei? Someone younger than me?" Katsuko questioned.

"Younger than Moriko," he corrected. "His name is Maito Gai."

"They let HIM graduate? Gai!?" Katsuko asked in shock with a swift recognition in her eyes. He was the goofy boy a few classes before them who practically tripped over his own clothes every other step. The pending war caused any worthy academy students to be recognized and advanced to training under a jounin, but he was probably no more than 7 years old. A whole five years younger than Katsuko, three under Moriko.

"Gai-san will not have trouble fitting into our squad. I will personally ensure that he does not hold us back, Kouichi-sensei!" Moriko said. "I shall do everything in my power to make him as strong as possible! I pledge to carry him on missions, to fight twice as many enemies as Katsuko-chan and to defend him whenever necessary to allow us to better serve the village." Katsuko sent her an irritated glare. Kouichi was silent for a few moments.

"You might want to worry about keeping up with him actually," Kouichi-sensei said, seriously. Moriko's eyes narrowed and she stopped on a dime, staring at the back of Kouichi-sensei waiting for him to explain that blasphemous comment. Kouichi-sensei glanced back dispassionately, turning forward and not slowing as she grew further behind. "At seven years old he can already perform a summons." Moriko's jaw dropped. Not even Aoba-senpai could perform a summons and he was a jounin and a genius! She chased after Kouichi-sensei and Katsuko, coming up between them with ease, making it to them as they reached the gate. Katsuko was staring at their sensei in surprise as well.

Moriko grabbed Katsuko's arm, pulling her aside as Kouichi-sensei spoke with the guards. "Do you really think it's true? That Gai-kun can perform a summons?" she hissed.

"I don't know. I know he's terrible at taijutsu. He couldn't fight off a squirrel!" Katsuko hissed.

"Really? I didn't think he was that bad," Moriko whispered.

"You were probably too busy training with Obito-san! It was my class that went down to help the worst dropouts, but your class that got to train with all the good ones in the same group," Katsuko exclaimed irritatedly, her voice staying low enough to not draw attention from the guards or their sensei.

"Heh, uh, sorry about that, but he is my younger cousin and Tai-kun was always paired up with Asuma-kun," she said, with a shrug. Katsuko and Moriko both darkened a bit for a few moments. Still, they couldn't say the name of their former teammate, Moriko's elder brother without a sharp and raw pain. He'd been killed on the border on a horrendous mission known as the Steel Kunai. No one talked about that mission, but they'd lost something important there, Moriko more than anyone and they'd not been right since. This war had taken quite a bit from many, but Moriko had lost a brother and two parents. She was all alone and it was hard for her.

"Right, anyways I was always stuck trying to train Gai at the academy and he's really weird. He has no genjutsu and his clones weren't even good! He is hopeless at taijutsu. I didn't think he'd ever pass. He's such a loser!" Katsuko said wrinkling her nose.

"Hey, you don't know that! He might have improved dramatically since then. It would take more than a summoning jutsu for the academy to graduate him at his age," Moriko said softly, contemplating that. The chances were pretty low. She'd seen the clumsy boy herself though she feigned ignorance of his failings. Maito Gai was definitely not an impressive sight. He had some rather big shoes to fill too. Their last teammate had been a shinobi of incredible caliber, someone very important to Moriko.

"If Kouchi-sensei says he can perform a summoning jutsu then he's no joke. That takes chakra control," Moriko argued in his favor.

"Kouichi-sensei can't see how badly he does, though. Got it? Training him is up to me and you. If we have to, we've got to trick Kouichi-sensei into thinking Gai-san is better than he is. I want to be chuunin and the more strong missions we take on the better we will become," Katsuko said.

"We have to come from the blind side with these other teams though. Not even the other teams should know what we can do, got it? No running that big mouth of yours. If they actually wait for a chuunin exam to determine advancement, we need every advantage possible, got it?" Katsuko asked. Moriko nodded. That was something she was one-hundred-percent on board with. They had to keep their true strength under wraps for as long as possible Not even Obito knew all of what they were truly capable and he was her closest family member. He was very young though… something that made it easier to keep things from him.

Katsuko nodded in satisfaction, glad that Moriko understood the plan and didn't have any complaints. Moriko wanted to be chuunin so bad she could taste it after all and she said so quite often. Katsuko understood that while Moriko didn't like the idea of tricking Kouichi-sensei, she'd do it if necessary. It would take a lot of effort turning Gai into a good genin in so short an amount of time from what Katsuko had seen of him, but they had to do it themselves. They couldn't let Kouichi get too involved, not that he ever went out of his way to train them. She sighed... lazy uncaring jounin.

"What are you two talking about over there?" Kouichi demanded, eyes narrowing at them.

"Boys!" Moriko blurted out with a girlish grin. It took a lot for Katsuko to keep a straight face. Her ten year old teammate was extremely annoying, but she was very smart as well, a trait rightly claimed by most Uchiha. It was the response most likely to draw their sensei's attention elsewhere immediately Their sensei paled and it was quite obvious that he was going to be much-relieved when there was another Y chromosome on the squad once more. He always complained about having to deal with two insolent females who were always plotting behind his back as he put it. He avoided their teen girl topics as much as possible. It was quite easy to get him off their case by simply pretending to gossip about Kumade-san, who was of course the most attractive of their year.

Katsuko was of course absolutely in love with the sullen, gray-haired chuunin, not that she'd say that aloud. Half the genin in the village were stumbling over themselves to fall at his feet after all and the other half were all about his Uchiha teammate: Shisui. It didn't matter that neither of them hardly cast them a glance. Moriko was quickly learning to pick up on these things and she knew Katsuko didn't want to come off as all the other females that followed after Kumade, like his teammate Hideko. Katsuko's feelings for Hideko were anything but kind though Moriko had to disagree when Katusko went off about how helpless Hideko acted. Moriko found Hideko to be a competent and tenacious comrade one who often assisted the orphaned Uchiha in her training.

Moriko shook her head at the thought. She didn't like to think about boys in that way, not yet at least. For her, being a shinobi came first. That was how she'd been raised. The Family would choose her a husband when they deemed the time right, a husband from within the clan of course, probably Obito… Their parents had been pushing for that since his birth. He was a few years younger, but that was of little consequence. It was the most rank-appropriate match. Both their families fell rather low in the clan's hierarchy.

The most sure way to gain rank on other families was to marry inside the clan. To marry outside the clan when ones level was already so low was to lower your family further. In any case, Moriko wouldn't be given a choice in the matter so it was better not to think about it. There was one thing that would help her avoid that fate… one choice she could make, but she only had four years to pull it off, four years to prove that she could be more than a homemaker, more than a breeder of strong Uchiha children.

Being a kunoichi was her life. She could not let her family down. Few Uchiha were anything less than great and she therefore had to aspire to greatness as her parents hopes had been dashed when her brother had been killed during that mission along the border. Moriko had to draw a deep, steadying breath as she thought of that. Her twin brother was the better of them. There had been no doubt about that, but she'd spent years chasing his standard of excellence. She knew that she'd never feel like she was as good as he should have been.

In any case, the expectations for females were lower than the men in the clan, but without a male heir, after Tai-kun's… her father had left it to her before his own death and told her as such. Her parents and brother may have had to leave her behind, but she carried on their legacy and their memory was strong within her. She needed to make them proud, even in death.

Katsuko seemed to notice her teammate's sudden shift to somberness and turned to look at her. "Moriko-chan?," Katsuko said, eying Moriko closely.

"Hai, Hai! Gomenasai my friend. Kouichi-sensei, don't we have to report?" Moriko questioned, placing her hands on her hips and raising her eyebrow. He looked up from the chuunin kunoichi he had undoubtedly been flirting with and sighed, nodding. He took off running, his two young pupils followed swiftly, landing in front of the hokage building with the grace of more superior shinobi.

They were surprised at the team they saw coming out. "Shisui-san, welcome home," Moriko said, respectfully with a slight bow, her Uchiha manners kicking in as she was faced with one of her own, one whose status far shadowed her own. He inclined his head in response, looking pretty tired but otherwise unaffected… another success no doubt.

"Success niisan?" she questioned.

"Ah, a success," he said. She nodded. He was the closest Uchiha to her in age, being the same age as her teammate Katsuko, but they rarely had occasion to interact. She was at least ten families below his and a child in his eyes. When they'd been very young her brother had been afforded the privilege of playing with him, but that was before the two of them had entered the academy. There had been no time for such childish things after that.

"Hideko-san, thanks for the help with my weapons work last week. I hit three more targets in ten seconds less over the last twenty-eight trials which is an increased improvement ratio of-" she said, getting very loud again.

"Moriko, she doesn't care how much your improvement ratio-" Katsuko began, but Moriko was difficult to quiet down once she started on training, times, and improvements it was nearly impossible to stop her unless… Kouichi's look hit her full force and she looked to him, locking it up quickly, straightening.

"You're welcome, Moriko. You are a very good training partner," Hideko said, with a small smile. She was one of the few that understood that even though all these new genin were being graduated from the school, they were both prepared for the shinobi world and still kids. At fourteen, she had the patience of a saint dealing with Moriko in Kouichi-sensei's opinion, not that anyone cared to listen to it anyways.

"Minato, B-rank?" Kouichi-sensei questioned. Moriko looked to her own sensei in surprise, then to Kumade who stood beside him, his height already rivaling that of his jounin captain's though he was only 14 years old.

"Ah," Minato-sensei nodded. "My team performed well. I had something to discuss with you, an important matter," he added with a glance to the man's genin squad. "I'll walk you up?" he suggested.

"Hai Minato-senpai. Katsuko, Moriko… you will follow in a couple minutes so we may discuss this privately," he said.

"Hai Kouichi-sensei," they both said immediately.

"So how did it really go, Hideko-san?" Moriko asked, obviously seeing that there was something not quite right with the three of them.

"Minato-sensei is right. It was a success and the team did well, especially Kumade-san. He deserves more praise than either of us by far," Hideko said, looking down ashamed.

"If you would stayed of of his way, he wouldn't have to work twice as hard," Shisui said, unkindly.

"Shisui!" Kumade snapped, his already deep voice reverberating with warning.

"Kunoichi do nothing but get underfoot," Shisui muttered, low enough that he probably thought no one could hear, but Moriko's extensive training in auditory sensitivity made it very clear to her and she was furious.

"Kunoichi are worth just as much as any male shinobi," Moriko snapped.

"That's a joke coming from you," he replied, uncaringly.

"I will become twice the shinobi you could ever dream to be Shisui-san and then I will beat you into a pulp just for thinking that you were ever better than me!" she shouted, without thinking.

Shisui's eyes were blood red in an instant and hers changed as a natural response. Before anything could even happen, Katsuko had grabbed hold of Moriko and spun her around so her back was facing her cousin, and holding her in a deadlock while Kumade stepped in to push his own teammate back roughly. Katsuko had not reacted quite quickly enough though… Shisui had seen them…

"Three tomoe," he muttered confused. "How did you…? When…?" he took a step towards her, but Katsuko was already pulling her away, growling at her to calm down and dragging her towards the building. Moriko continued struggling to be released.

"What are you thinking, baka!" Katsuko snapped, smacking her on the head which seemed to get through to Moriko finally who fumed out an angry breath before jerking fully away and straightening.

"I'm sorry, okay. I can't always help it. It's a reflex!" she exclaimed.

"Well you need to learn to control it alright? We've talked about that. Our best strength is that we are kunoichi and they do underestimate us. Wait until you're stronger than all of them and then show them you are so, got it?" she asked. A few moments later her face had reddened again. Katsuko hit her again.

"Ow, Katsu-chan, stop that!" she snapped.

"Save it for training, Moriko," she said, looking seriously at the black-haired girl, but she shook her head, brushing her teammate aside, her black eyes reflecting an emotion uncommon for the girl, unadulterated fury. "Save it for training, Mori-chan. You know our rule," Katsuko ordered with an edge to her voice, a warning on her lips. "2300, report to the main gate," Katsuko said, sharply. The elder girl naturally took the lead and Moriko snapped to at the command.

"Hai!" Moriko said gravely, stopping in front of the desk as Katsuko requested an audience with the hokage Kouichi-sensei coming up behind them slowly, obviously done speaking with Minato-sensei.

"Kouichi, it is good to have you back in the village," the third said, graciously. He smiled upon them all. Moriko was glad as his pleasant aura appeased the darkness that hung like a cloud over her. She offered a small smile in response.

"Your mission was completed of course?" the hokage said, eyes shifting from Kouichi to his two young kunoichi.

"Hai!" Moriko and Katsuko said, swiftly. Kouichi-sensei nodded to the affirmative.

"Good, you all have been working very hard and the village is very grateful. Please take the next few days off from missions. It should give you time to get to know your newest squad member. I already sent for him, but it appears he has not arrived yet." There was humor in the hokage's tone, but Kouichi's eyes darkened. He hated tardiness. Moriko wondered if he would scold the boy when he did arrive. No, he would wait until they were alone. Kouichi would not embarrass one of his students before the hokage, especially when he was so new.

Moriko watched with a serious expression as a green-clad shinobi stumbled into the room. Katsuko chuckled a bit cruelly. Moriko elbowed her teammate in the ribs, indicating that she should shut it. The green-clad shinobi was rather uninteresting in appearance as they both remembered well, the only outstanding trait being those horrendously-bushy eyebrows. Katsuko's eyes were watching him closely, and Moriko knew that her thoughts could not be very kind.

He had long hair which was pulled back into a tie at the nape of his neck. They had gone through the academy with him of course, but the time they had spent away from him made him appear even stranger than then with his large eyebrows and pale skin. He was a scrawny little blighter though his face still retained its baby fat. His long green sleeves hung over his hands and his pants were rather bulky. His headband was tied at his neck, making him look that much goofier. It was generally only kunoichi that wore their headbands in that particular place.

"Ah, Gai-kun, good of you to show up," the hokage said with a small smile.

"Hai Hokage-sama! I am rather excited to be placed on a team after all this time!" Gai said loudly. Katsuko sniggered again, fighting to keep a straight face. Moriko however was watching Gai with a very serious look without an ounce of disdain or humor. The look on the ten year old's face would look silly to most, but this was Konoha and students were growing into genin at a much earlier age than ever before as war loomed before them. To the Hokage whose eyes were on Moriko rather than the newly-minted genin, the young Uchiha's hard, contemplative expression was one of a budding leader, a child who had the potential to make a great shinobi captain one day. Moriko's black eyes were sizing him up, trying to determine how she could best help the strange boy who would have to improve greatly or they would not be able to make the transition as a team from genin-level to chuunin-level.

Moriko turned fully to the strange boy and marched up in front of him, drawing together all her Uchiha diplomatic ability. She paid no mind to the others in the room, though she could feel their eyes following her, watching her every move. She held out a hand determinedly. "It is an honor to be in your presence once more Gai-kun. I hope we can improve together and bring honor to ourselves and become great assets to this village."

"Mo-Moriko-san...?" Gai said softly. He stared at her strangely before slowly taking her hand. She pulled him sharply forward, grabbing the back of his head and spinning him around, locking him in place one hand holding both his wrists together in a firm grip while the other held his throat, not too tightly so as to choke him, just enough so he knew she was there.

"You and I will train every night and every day for the next two weeks or until we are assigned a mission…" she whispered in his ear, her voice darkening. She spoke so quietly he struggled to catch her words. He swallowed hard, nodding. "You will sweat, you will bleed, you will cry, but you will not give up because you are better than that, because you are Team Four and Team Four does not give up. Do you understand?"

"H-hai!" Gai said faintly.

"Kouichi-sensei," the hokage said, probably expecting Kouichi to interfere with Moriko's rough-handling of the new genin, but their sensei simply stood aside his arms crossed, with a blank look on his face.

"Moriko is practical hokage-sama. She needs him. She won't kill him," Katsuko said with a dark glance towards her teammate, whose words were too softly spoken in Gai's ear for any of the others to hear. Moriko released her new teammate, wrapping an arm over his shoulders. She pulled him forward swiftly, her grip still more suffocating and confining than supportive.

"Gai-kun will become ANBU one day, hokage-sama. That is the promise of a lifetime," she said with certainty, winking confidently. "He will be one of the village's strongest shinobi in the future because the will of fire burns strongly in his heart!"

"Mori-chan?" Katsuko said softly, frowning. Moriko had made quite of few crazy promises today. She always did make exaggerated exclamations like that and all that she'd made she had seen through in the past. That however, was one promise Katsuko doubted was even a slight possibility. Gai would be lucky to make chuunin someday. He was an embarrassment as was shown in his awkward step, his uncomfortable gaze. She thought how stupid he looked wearing that strange red color on the cloth holding his headband. Sure, he was only seven, but she was convinced he'd been graduated to cover the types of missions Katsuko and Moriko were trying to move away from, to free up stronger shinobi so they could face rising unrest along the borders of the smaller ally nations. Any seven year old could still pull weeds and chase down cats which would clear them up for more difficult missions. What she couldn't understand was why he'd been placed with them.

"I believe you are right, Moriko," the hokage said with a smile. Gai was looking at her in shock then looking to the hokage, a blush rising on his pale cheeks. Moriko smiled, ignoring Katsuko's incredulous look or Kouichi-sensei's raised eyebrow. All it took was one person believing in her to make her strive for the best, to make her want this more than anything in the world. She wanted to be that person for Gai. She wanted to help him because as strange as he was, she knew that he wanted to be a great shinobi. They had all known that at the academy even the older kids and no matter how hard the other kids had tried, no matter how much they'd bullied him, they had never deterred the strange shinobi-to-be.

"You're all dismissed for now," the hokage said.

"Arigatou, Sandaime-sama," Moriko said, bowing respectfully then grabbing Gai by the hand and dragging him towards the window ignoring the ANBU in the room as they tensed up a bit. Gai gasped in surprise, but she merely yanked him along with her as she leaped from the window, landing on the next rooftop and continuing, dragging the clumsy boy along with her.

"What is our destination, Moriko-san?" Gai asked, trying to remain polite as he was carted across the village by the kunoichi, her small hand gripping his in a vice-grip he would not be able to break if he were to try.

"I made a promise to my teammate and sensei. I have 500 laps around Konoha to accomplish before training with Katsu-chan," she said.

"500 laps around the village?" Gai gasped. "That is impossible!"

"It is definitely not impossible Gai-kun and you are going to join me. If you cannot keep up with me I shall carry you the rest of the way!" she swore, landing at the main gate with a fiery look of determination.

"Moriko-san, I will hold you back!"

Moriko smiled. "That's what everyone else thinks right now Gai. Are you ready to prove them wrong?" Moriko asked, eying him carefully, from long scraggly hair down to his too-baggy pants and shirt.

Gai's eyes lit up with shame but that was replaced with determination. "Hai!" he said sharply. Moriko smiled.

"You're my new comrade, my new friend and no matter what I will protect you until I die. That is the promise of a lifetime," she said, winking. Katsuko appeared at her side, back to looking somber. She looked at Moriko strangely once more.

"Ari-Arigatou," Gai said, and it looked for a moment that he was going to cry. That passed however and Moriko laughed.

"Shinobi are forbidden tears; that is true Gai, but I have never held back my tears of happiness," Moriko said.

"It is our rule. No one outside of our team is allowed to see you cry from this time on, unless your tears are tears of joy. Our pain is something that only we can share," Katsuko said, softly.

"What about... what about Kouichi-sensei?"

"Kouichi-sensei will not be at most of our training sessions. He is a jounin and he has more important things to do than train with us every day. We are at war and it is growing along the borders and once it reaches the next level we will see even less of him. We're running out of time now Gai. From here on out, you live, eat, sleep, and breathe Team Four. Can you deal with that?" Katsuko questioned, looking doubtful. He nodded meekly.

"Katsuko, are you joining us?" Moriko asked, softly.

"No, I'll leave his taijutsu to you, Mori-chan," Katsuko said. "I will practice my chakra control until 2300. Do not forget that you must finish by that time."  
"I shall do 100 pushups for every minute that I am over our meeting time," Moriko said. Katsuko sighed but nodded while Gai gaped at her.

"Yosh, ready for the training of a true shinobi, Gai-kun?" Moriko asked, turning her coal black eyes on her new teammate. He paled, but swallowed hard and nodded. He'd never even spoken with Moriko much. In the academy she'd hardly acknowledged him. His fists clenched. He had been the weakest of his class, having to graduate months after the others. He didn't want to be weak anymore. He didn't want to let Katsuko and Moriko down. They were counting on him.

"I will try my hardest," Gai said.

"That's what we're afraid of… that not being enough," Katsuko muttered to herself, frowning at Moriko and wondering why she was taking Gai so much under her wing. He was only bound to disappoint her as he had all of their instructors before, as he was bound to disappoint Kouichi-sensei.

"Let's go," Moriko said, tapping her stop-watch and taking off like a bullet. Gai struggled after her, stumbling over his pants as he tried to get going. Moriko whirled around to catch him, but he gritted his teeth, lifting his feet higher off the ground as he chased the more experienced genin.

Moriko was surprised at how much stamina Gai had. She had not seen that in him before. He had the build for a genjutsu user, which they would have to change... and fast. He would never make a good genjutsu specialist. As he ran, she noted his every movement, her sharingan activated to take it all in. Many would think it was a waste of chakra, but she knew better. Gai was her biggest priority now and she was determined to make him strong. Kouichi was too passive. He had never been an active jounin sensei and much of Moriko and Katsuko learned was from their families. Gai was from a non-shinobi background. He needed them to advance more than they needed him to become chuunin.

"Team Four, Never give up. Never back down. Never show weakness. Never show fear," she breathed out. The words were their words… the motto of team four

"What... was that Moriko-san?" Gai rasped out breathlessly.

"Nothing Gai-kun. Keep going. Focus your chakra to your legs to ease the strain. Concentrate on your chakra at all times," she instructed swiftly. She remembered her father telling her that once, years ago, just before she'd made genin. She looked down at the ground under her feet. He had been killed on mission years ago. He'd destroyed his own body to keep it out of the hands of the enemy so she had never seen him again. That combined with the loss of her brother so recently before it had nearly destroyed her. She had, however, inherited his mask and one day... she hoped to be able to wear it and carry on her father's legacy.

"Moriko-san?" Gai questioned, obviously noticing her melancholy.

"You're falling behind, Gai," Katsuko said as they passed her again. Gai gritted his teeth with determination and with his first chakra-infused step caught up with Moriko in a single bound. Moriko smirked and pushed herself faster. That was the first true spark of fire she'd seen from the boy and she hoped it was the first of many.

Once a student had made a comment to Gai in front of the entire class that he would never make it as a shinobi because he had no skill in taijutsu which was the base technique for shinobi. That was ironic as the other boy had dropped out this year. Well, Moriko knew that she and Katsuko would help Gai to prove him wrong in any case. In that moment she decided that Gai would become the greatest taijutsu specialist in their generation if not in the entire village!

Her eyes spun momentarily before she deactivated her three-tomoe-sharingan, concentrating on her own chakra distribution and sending as much to her legs as she knew was wise. She had to conserve for the rest of the run. The village blurred past her and time slipped away as she focused on her chakra control. Gai fell further and further behind, but each time he did, Moriko dropped back to his side, urging him along. He wasn't going to make it and she knew that. She had expected it. She had conserved enough chakra to carry his weight to the end if she had to. What she didn't expect was how far he had made it. They had nearly gone four-hundred laps according to Katsuko's diligent count each time they passed.

He was dead on his feet. His movements were sluggish and he was hardly able to catch a breath to continue. She was impressed with each step as his feet continued to land in front of him, somehow his momentum continuing to propel him forward. As they rounded their four-hundred-sixty-fifth lap, Gai finally collapsed, breathing erratically, legs twitching from the exertion. His heart was thudding so loud her shinobi-refined ears could hear it's beats. She glanced at her ever-useful stopwatch before grabbing Gai by the arm and hoisting him up onto her back. He stared at her.

"You have no chakra and your legs are now useless. Your only task now is to stay conscious and keep a tight grip around my shoulders. Can you do that Gai-kun?" Moriko questioned.

"Hai," Gai gasped, coughing and choking on the air as he worked to fill his lungs.

"Yosh, thirty-five left," Moriko whispered to herself. She took off, Gai's arms tightening around her. He was small so it wasn't difficult to carry him. He didn't have much muscle so his weight wasn't about to hold her back. She felt his head fall to her shoulder and she jumped hard, jostling him when she was in the air. His head jolted up. "Awake," she snapped.

"Hai!" he cried exhausted, keeping his head up as she continued to run.

Finally they reached the end of the road. Katsuko held out a hand to stop her teammate and Moriko stopped on a dime, her teammate's palm inches from her face. Katsuko smirked and Gai collapsed. Moriko turned swiftly, breathing hard and aching, but still having enough strength in her to catch her newest teammate and carefully lower him to the ground.

"He is impressive. I am proven wrong," Katsuko said, softly.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Moriko joked, glancing at her teammate who shot her a glare.

Sweat beaded down her face, the salt stinging her eyes as it leaked out from under her headband. She winced as she glanced down at her stopwatch, stopping it and switching to the time setting. "2303," she muttered. Without a word she dropped beside Gai's prone form and began to push her body from the ground, calling out the numbers to Katsuko as she went while Katsuko paid her no mind, concentrating on the skinny, green-clad boy who was currently unconscious. She began to heal the muscle damage to his legs. Moriko watched the skilled new healer work out of the corner of her eye, all the while counting loudly.

"You know what I'm thinking Mori-chan?" Katsuko questioned as she healed Gai, wasting no chakra of course in the process.

"Yes," Moriko replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh really?" Katsuko chuckled.

"One..." Moriko said.

"Two..." Katsuko chimed.

"Three... Taijutsu!" they said together. Katsuko shoved her teammate out of her push up and Moriko threw a kunai that grazed past her teammate's cheek, giving her little more than a paper-cut-sized wound. Without missing a beat, Moriko was back on her hands pushing once more, her numbers never off, never unsure.

"I think he actually could be good," Katsuko muttered.

"There are no weak links on Team Four. He will not be good. He will be great," Moriko said, without cracking a grin.

Katsuko sat back on her heels, looking down at Gai closely. "He has something in him... he reminds me of you somehow," Katsuko said glancing up at Moriko, who stared at their new teammate. She didn't look away no matter how many pushups she did.

"I can believe what Kouichi-sensei said now. I think he has the potential for a summons," Moriko said contemplatively, pausing in her push ups so she did not lose her count.

"He's still a weirdo," Katsuko muttered, her eyes narrowing slightly. Moriko glanced at her teammate with a wave of irritation shooting through her, but she swallowed it down. She began to push faster, wanting to get through her promise and onto her further training.

"Who are we to ask him to change who he is?" Moriko said.

"Fine, you can have this your way. I think it would be for his own good," Katsuko grumbled, rising to her feet.

"What should we do with him?" Moriko said, stretching her exhausted arms as she rose to her feet a bit wobbly.

"Bring him for our training. He's just going to sleep through it anyway. I'm not carrying him though. You made a promise, not me," Katsuko said, glancing at the strange boy with distaste.

"No problem," Moriko said. She knelt down and without any difficulty at all, lifted Gai up in a dead-man's carry as if he weighed nothing. He groaned softly, but settled over her shoulders after a moment. She shifted him slightly. He was a bit awkward, but not too heavy.

"Bet he's never worked hard in his life. This is going to take a lot," Katsuko grumbled as she noted the ease with which he was lifted. Moriko was strong, but she hardly looked to be bothered an ounce and she didn't use a bit of chakra.

"What do you think you have something better to do hime-sama?" Moriko mocked. "Team Four: Uchiha Moriko, Nara Katsuko, Maito Gai, sensei: Itou Kouichi. We are a team now and from this moment on no one will ever turn up their nose to Maito Gai again unless they want my fist to break it, not even you Katsu."

Moriko pretended she couldn't feel Katsuko's glare as she headed towards the training ground, slightly ahead of her teammate, lugging Gai with her. She had been feeling that more and more often that nasty glare, but she had faith in Katsuko. That irritation would not turn into anything more. They were comrades, through thick and thin.

They made quite a sight as they headed out further from the village, the forest echoing around them as Moriko's declaration hung in the air between the two squad mates and best friends like a heavy blanket of fog that one could practically taste. Moriko had never thought ill of Gai before. She had made it a point to never thing negatively about others without true knowledge of them. However, she'd never before acknowledged him as anything other than a sub-par student at the academy, but that was before he was hers: her mission, her comrade, and her friend. No one messed with Moriko's precious people and Maito Gai was now among those select few. If Gai were to act towards Katsuko as she was towards him she would have exactly the same reaction. She would not allow it. She'd seen too much of the pain of loss, too many shinobi that never made it home. This was the result of being a part of an important Konoha clan. She had lost her own parents. She'd lost her brother and she'd seen how it affected a community and a team. It had happened thousands of times over and usually it was because of a weak squad, a shaky foundation. She would not be part of a squad like that.

"Moriko," Katsuko said, pretending she couldn't hear her teammate breathing heavily and that she couldn't see that she was finally beginning to feel the strain of her new teammate's added weight. Her voice was serious, worried and dangerous at the same time.

"Ah?" Moriko muttered.

"Are you going to tell me why you blew up at Shisui-san earlier? It is unlike you to act disrespectful to another member of your clan, especially a higher-ranking one," she said. Moriko was loud and annoying but above everything, she was very good at maintaining her bearing with her clan-mates. It was something that was nonnegotiable with the Uchiha.

They were shinobi and control of emotions was an important part of that. With Moriko and Katsuko, they had one acceptable outlet and that was each other. They had made that pact long ago. When they'd been assigned to the same team, they'd made a blood vow that their secrets were to be with each other and no one else: their problems, their hopes, their dreams, all top secret.

A couple years ago when Moriko's father had become one of the long list of the Konoha shinobi K.I.A., Katsuko had been the first and only person Moriko had gone to. Katsuko's parents had not said one word about the two weeks the new genin had spent locked up inside her teammate's room, refusing to see her uncle, her aunt, or any other members of her clan. Even Kouichi could not break the strong wall of Nara that stood between him and his genin. Nara were more loyal than most and one word from Katsuko and none allowed anyone near her heartbroken teammate. She had cut herself off from everyone, except Katsuko. In return Katsuko had taken care of her, fed her or force-fed her in some cases, comforted her when she could not stop the tears and listened when she could not sleep because the thoughts were so rampant in her that she needed to get them out.

"I apologize for exploding like that. I did not mean to embarrass you," Moriko said darkly.

"I'm not worried about being embarrassed, Moriko-chan," Katsuko frowned.

"I've been angry, since… I had to do something Katsuko, something that is expected of a shinobi. I knew it would happen, but it has been difficult and since I have had difficulty controlling my emotions," Moriko said.

They were quiet for a while until they reached the training ground. Moriko laid her teammate down, removing her long blue jacket which bore the Uchiha crest. She folded it up sliding it under Gai's head carefully. Her blue shirt beneath was much the same, simply sleeveless. Her long blue, perfectly-tailored pants bore the Uchiha crest on the left leg, opposite her weapons pouch. She dropped her bag from their mission beside Gai and Katsuko did the same.

"You… killed someone?" Katsuko asked softly after a while. Moriko glanced up sharply, her eyes darkening. She looked up at the moon, Kouichi-sensei's face flashing behind her eyes, then the masked face of Hatake Kakashi. She gripped her hands into fists tightly. "You've only had three missions without me since you became a genin. Have you really...?"

"I do not wish to speak about it," Moriko mumbled defensively. Gai stirred, but did not awaken.

"I feel like you are not being sincere. It was the one to Iwa, wasn't it? The one with Aoba, Ibiki, and Kumade? You were chosen specifically for it," Katsuko murmured. Moriko stiffened.

"If you continue to push this subject I will leave," she said, her voice devoid of emotions.

"If you continue to avoid it you will die inside," Katsuko countered. "My father told me about how a shinobi's first kill can destroy them." Moriko did not respond. Her eyes were on the moon still. She was not going to respond.

"Mori-chan, this isn't something you can just-"

"You don't know anything Katsuko! Just shut up already!" Moriko shouted, birds taking flight from the trees around them as her voice echoed in the forest. Gai stirred in earnest this time. Moriko glanced to him as he groaned, sitting up.

"Show us your summoning jutsu," she said, a bit sharper than their new teammate deserved as she activated her Sharingan. He blinked dazedly, looking around in confusion.

"Team Four," he said a small smile dawning on his face, but it faded when he realized he had been given instructions. He leapt to his feet, surprised that they didn't scream in protest. He whipped out a scroll in one smooth motion, "Kyuuchose no jutsu!" he shouted, slamming his hand on the ground.

There was a large poof and the moonlit clearing filled with smoke. Katsuko stepped back slightly, blinking dazedly. Moriko however did not even blink. Her sharingan eyes whirled as she watched. He smiled widely as the smoke cleared. A rather small tortoise appeared. Its head was pulled inside its shell. Katsuko started laughing, staring at the shell with mirth.

"Your chakra-control is very precise," Moriko said softly, staring at him.

"Uh... thanks," Gai said.

"Couldn't you have summoned something bigger?"

"At this hour?" Moriko cut in before Gai had to respond. The tortoise promptly poked it's head out of its shell looking around dazedly. It was perhaps the size of Gai's foot. "Perhaps if he wanted to be crushed," Moriko muttered more to herself than Katsuko.

"What the hell do you want, Gai-kun?" the tortoise demanded indignantly.

"I apologize tortoise-san. I was just hoping to meet one of the powerful and noble summonings I have heard shinobi speak so highly of," Moriko said, bowing respectfully to the small creature.

"Sharingan-user... what is your name?" the tortoise questioned.

"I am Uchiha Moriko and I will be Gai's close comrade from now on," Moriko explained. "This is our other teammate, a medical ninja, Nara Katsuko."

"Hn," the tortoise said, glancing back at Gai momentarily. "I shall convey this information to the master, yes?"

"Ah! Tha-Thank you," Gai said with a grin that sparkled in the moonlight. Moriko glanced at him in surprise, an unfamiliar feeling sparking inside her. She swallowed hard, trying to forget it, but it nagged at her, not allowing her to simply wash it away. His tortoise comrade disappeared in a puff of smoke and Moriko stared at the place he had been for a moment after his disappearance.

"Moriko-senpai!" Gai exclaimed. Moriko looked at him, surprised at the change in address. "I see that my new squad works differently than others. Kouichi-sensei is not as involved as many jounin sensei." Moriko nodded, not about to argue that one. Kouichi-sensei was on jounin missions more often than training them. "Since this is the case, I humbly request that you and Katsuko-san teach me anything that you are willing to and not hold back. I wish to prove wrong the 'everyone' you say is expecting me to fail! I wish to become a strong shinobi."

Moriko smiled softly. "First of all, do not call me senpai, Gai-kun. You are my equal now. You are Katsuko's equal." Katsuko stiffened slightly, but didn't negate her friend's comment as much as she wished to. She had already felt a bit insulted when she'd been teamed with a ten year old, but at least Moriko was a ten-year-old with a powerful kekkei genkai. Now she was teamed with a seven-year-old who could summon a miniature tortoise. She glared slightly into the air, trying not to open her mouth because she knew Moriko could shut it. They'd found that out before a couple of times though Moriko never got out completely unscathed.

"Also, we do not train each other... we learn from each other." Katsuko said. "That is very important."

"You getting all this?" Moriko questioned.

"H-Hai!" Gai exclaimed.

"We decided something for you, Gai," Katsuko told him, looking as if she didn't want to be speaking to him at all as if he were a piece of dirt she'd rather brush aside. "You have been heading in the wrong direction."

"Katsuko-san?" Gai said, questioningly.

"You were born for taijutsu and we have a very short amount of time to make you a taijutsu specialist. It will be difficult since you are so weak in that particular area and you will not like it. Are you willing to commit to that training?" Katsuko asked.

"Are you sure I shou-"

"We wouldn't have decided it if it wasn't true. Your chakra and your personality lend towards your excelling as a taijutsu master," Katsuko growled.

"So are you willing to commit?" Moriko pressed in a softer, more careful tone.

"I am!" Gai said, saluting swiftly.

So was reborn a complete Team Four, a three-man genin squad that would rival the strength of Team Eight when even the senior genin in teams One and Three could not. A rivalry was born and unbreakable bonds were forged between two of the three promising young shinobi in particular: Uchiha Moriko and Maito Gai who would from that day on be inseparable. Together they would become stronger, because in wartime, weakness was not an option, weakness amounted to certain death.

Please let me know what you think. It's just below so if it isn't too much trouble. This story will have much longer chapters than my other Naruto fanfiction


	2. Chapter 2

A Tale of Love and Loss

Maito Gai/Original Character

Disclaimer: The fandom is Naruto and it of course does not belong to me along with many of the characters portrayed. I will do my best to remain true to the characters.

Chapter: A Mission is Assigned

Katsuko sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She had slept quite well the night before, which was surprising due to the important day they had ahead of them. There was a pounding on her window and she groaned laying back down at pulling her covers over her head. The knocking on her window only became more insistent. She threw the covers off and growled, moving swiftly to the window and throwing back the curtains fixing her teammate with a deadly glare.

Moriko's gaze was just as harsh. She of course was crouched easily on Katsuko's windowsill in complete shinobi gear, an extra pouch on her left hip containing important trap gear as well as soldier pills and some rations. It was important to be prepared for anything. They had never undergone an A-rank mission as a team before and they weren't sure what to expect really. Moriko was crazy about being prepared for any type of situation. It was insane how many weapons she had hidden away on her person. Many Hyuuga jaws dropped when they set eyes on her for the first time. She was equipped like a weapons specialist, but her chakra was completely contrary. She was an accomplished ninjutsu specialist and if anything her chakra leaned towards taijutsu or genjutsu.

Katsuko was mildly surprised to see all of Moriko's hair restrained in a long ponytail She usually let her hair free or only tied it up partially. Katsuko was about to ask what the nasty glare was for, but then she noticed the determination shining in her black eyes and Katsuko didn't want to be the first person to put a damper on her day. That would be a rather unwise decision. Now thirteen, Moriko was a force to be reckoned with. Most of the other shinobi were unaware of her, but for the few she served with on her secondary squad and of course Katsuko and Gai.

Katsuko did however take a moment to glare at the chuunin vest her teammate wore which was zipped up tightly. Of course Moriko had made chuunin two and a half months after the reformation of their team. Katsuko had joined her eight months later, but it had been a bitter eight months while their relationship had eroded catastrophically. Katsuko could hardly think of reasons she had been close to her teammate now two years after her own promotion. She could hardly remember the times when she'd seen the young Uchiha as a friend. Moriko was foolish, headstrong, and she spent more time training than anything else in her life. That was all she cared about and it was maddening because she only got stronger. How was Katsuko supposed to catch up?

Katsuko threw her hair up as she marched across her room, changing swiftly and tying her hitai ate around her left arm tightly, yanking on her new chuunin vest almost distastefully. She wondered briefly if Moriko's vest was more comfortable, more broken in. That thought made her growl internally, but she kept it inside. She had a mission to accomplish and she needed to keep her mind on the task at hand. She made it to her window silently, glad to be met with the silence of the house. She had not awoken anyone. That was good. The sun had yet to rise, but of course Moriko would be awake. She probably had trained through the night knowing her, either with Gai or one of her countless training partners.

Katsuko couldn't even keep track of the number of people Moriko had trained with the last three days, let alone the three years since Gai had joined their squad. She trained daily with Katsuko as well as their combined sessions with Gai, her personal hour-long sessions with Kouichi-sensei when he was available, Obito every other day as well. Katsuko had the sneaking suspicion that she and Gai spent a significant amount of time each day training together without her, not that she cared. She wouldn't train more with them more for the world. She could hardly stand their two hours as it was, but Kouichi had put her in charge of the squad in his absence. Katsuko didn't have a choice.

She knew that her teammate had clan training for her Sharingan every day as well. How those Sharingan-users took so much training was beyond her, but that was the way of Uchiha. Their rivalry with the Hyuuga had become even more intense in the last years and the response for both clans was to increase internal training for their younger shinobi.

As Katsuko walked to the window, Moriko pushed off from the windowsill, back-flipping and landing next to their third squad member. Katsuko opened the window and stepped out, using her chakra to keep her on the wall as she slid the window shut silently and stepped backwards, landing in front of her two teammates easily.

"We're going to be hours early. I'm sure you two realize that. I doubt you care," Katsuko mumbled irritated. "What an irritating habit, being so early for everything," she complained softly.

"Of course I realize, Katsu-chan! We will be the first to arrive at the meeting place or I will do one-hundred vertical push-ups!" she exclaimed, winking. Katsuko rolled her eyes.

"How lame," she grumbled, looking up at the dark sky.

"Kouichi-sensei advised us to be as early as possible to avoid problems at hokage tower. There should be other teams going out as well. We will have to perform admirably on this mission, Katsuko-chan!" Gai said, flashing a bright smile and clapping her on the shoulder.

Moriko grinned goofily with a nod. Katsuko just shook her head, wondering how the two could really function on so little sleep. Both seemed to be in great moods actually as usual. Katsuko scowled, turning towards hokage tower where they were to be given their mission objective. For once Katsuko felt foreboding grip her. She was nervous and not just nervous. She was terrified. The fact that her body felt this and she had so little control over it made her angry and she would have felt none of this foreboding had she shown up minutes before the briefing, ready and rearing to go, so her anger turned to Moriko.

Kouichi-sensei had gone on an important mission to the border of the fire country with Asuma's squad Team Nine, leaving them behind for a mission he had told them would be very difficult and very important. If they accomplished it, they would be highly commended and would be helping the jounin of their village in the process. There were a lot of teams involved, a lot of very young teams. The squads involved were One, Three, Four, and Seven. There were so few jounin in the village now that they were stretched very thin. That much they were all very well aware of. They had all been assigned guard duty many times this week, even Gai who was still a genin.

There were not enough shinobi to run this still escalating war. Konoha was already stretched far too thin and if it weren't for the clans of the village who kept pushing their younger members so hard, they would have no chance. Uchiha, Hyuuga, and Aburame came up with new genin every year and they were good. There weren't as many in that age group in the Nara or Inuzuka clans or any of the other village clans. Their training was being taken very seriously and until they were able to step into the D-rank and C-rank missions of the genin/chuunin squads like Team Four, those teams would all be on double duty.

Katsuko gave the bushy-browed Gai a cursory glance, wrinkling her nose at his familiar appearance. It was an improvement from the scrawny boy with girlishly-long hair and over-large clothing, but he was still the strangest shinobi she'd ever met and she was certain she didn't want to be proven wrong. He wore a green spandex jumpsuit with his orange hitai ate tied around his waist, his hair cut into a horrendous bowl cut, hands wrapped up to his elbows over the horrible spandex. He wore orange leg warmers on his legs to top it all off.

Moriko had formed a close bond with him however so her teammate could say nothing bad against him or risk Moriko's angry fists now faster and stronger than ever, putting her fifteen-year-old teammate to shame. Katsuko looked between the two, a bit of jealousy sparking in her unbidden. She had never felt jealous of Gai before, but it wasn't long ago that she was Moriko's only most precious comrade. Now, though... they hardly spoke. Katsuko wondered what Moriko thought of the distance. She shook her head, clearing her stupid emotions as they stepped through the door of the hokage building. She didn't care. She didn't even like the annoying Special Chuunin.

Gai held the door open with a big grin. He was joking with Moriko, who appeared to be laughing. Katsuko was listening, but she was sure it was not funny in the slightest, not even to Moriko. Katsuko considered Gai carefully. Did he realize how unlikely it was that Moriko was even listening? She was obviously lost in dark thoughts though her false laughter could be misleading. In any case, Gai didn't shut up.

Katusko's brow furrowed as she noticed a few changes to her teammate's uniform in the light of the Hokage building. She wasn't wearing the blue Uchiha clothes she'd assumed she'd been donning earlier. She was clad in long-sleeved black fishnet and green arm-guards. Her pants were the same, though they were tighter to her, black as well. Even her sandals were changed, they were a deep green color to match the arm guards. Only her chuunin jacket was the same.

"What's with the gear? Your outfit is altered," Katsuko said, turning her eyes straight ahead. Moriko and Gai followed. Moriko was silent.

"Mine?" Gai questioned in confusion. Katsuko rolled her eyes, shaking her head and pointing at Moriko. "I do not see anything altered," Gai stated after a long moment. Katsuko let out an exasperated sigh. He was the most unobservant shinobi she'd ever met!

"She's wearing a completely different outfit, Gai!" Katusko exclaimed.

"This is how I dress for more important missions, Katsuko. Gai has seen me wear this before on our last mission with Kumade-senpai," Moriko said, quietly. "I don't pull this out unless I know I am going to need the strength." Katsuko blinked… the arm guards… the fishnet… the mask bunched up under her chin...her father… Katsuko understood. Her heart pounded in her chest, pain echoing. She knew only too well what that mask represented for Moriko. It wasn't only her father, her brother had worn those exact clothes sans chuunin jacket of course. Katsuko's heart gave a nasty jerk at the thought.

"Strength?" Gai questioned. Katsuko frowned, for once she and Gai thinking the exact same thing. "How will clothes bring you strength, Mori-chan?"

"It is not the clothes, Gai-kun," Moriko smiled fondly. She placed a hand on his head, ruffling his hair. Katusko felt a disgusting emotion swell within her but she fought it down. "My father wore these and his father before him. They were my brother's for a brief time, but his noble death left no male heir to bear them. They all died in this uniform and I wear it so that I am brave enough to face my own death when it should come for me. If I am lucky then I shall die an honorable death in defense of the people I care most about." She adjusted the worn green leather arm guards carefully. They were important to her family and Katsuko had never seen her actually wear them.

They turned into the conference room they had been told to report to the day before which at first glance appeared empty. "Death? Mori-chan, I shall not allow you to go to your death. I will lay down my life to protect you no matter what happens!" Gai exclaimed.

"No one is going to be dying today," a rough voice said from the corner. They looked up to see Hayate step forward from the corner of the room, staring at them seriously

Katsuko stiffened, noticing that his two teammates were standing together on the other side of the room. Moriko would not like that. She was carefree and fun-loving, but she didn't like being outdone as ridiculous as she was. She would see them being earlier as a challenge for future missions. She glanced at her teammate to see that she was not mistaken. The girl's eyes were dark and her shoulders stiff. She was displeased, but a smirk came upon her face, one of determination, one that said Katsuko was going to be very unhappy, very soon. The Nara girl sighed, wishing her friend did not have to be so... Uchiha.

"Hayate-san!" Moriko said softly as they approached, Gai following quickly. Katsuko adopted a softer posture, smiling to Yugao and Genma as if she were actually truly excited to see them. After the brief flash of contest in Moriko's expression, she adopted a warm, true smile of greeting as they drew up before them, holding out her hand to clasp Hayate's shoulder which he returned in kind, a rare show of familiarity for Hayate-san one of the top chuunin in the village. "You are here early than anticipated. I shall not allow you to best me again in this manner. I will report to our next mission earlier than you if I have to stay at the site overnight to accomplish this!" she said, squeezing his shoulder tightly before releasing him. "That's definitely a promise," she added with a grin and a wink.

"I shall be with you just as early, my eternal rival!" Gai exclaimed loudly. "I will not allow you to report earlier than me either!" Moriko smiled and placed a hand on Gai's head ruffling his hair.

"Hey!" Gai exclaimed, brushing her hand aside and patting his hair down diligently, to ensure his bowl-shaped haircut was impeccable.

Katsuko watched her teammate closely. She was so good that not even Katsuko could tell anymore if she were sincere or if she was really focusing on hiding her melancholy. She did everything in her power to stay positive in any type of situation and usually it worked. Hayate would notice nothing off of course So far Katsuko knew only a few who could see through Moriko's mask better than she. Kouichi was the first of course and he was followed... rather surprisingly... by the young Kakashi. This was surprising because the two rarely spoke outside of missions and even then their discourse often escalated to an exchange of unfriendly words.

"Our squads will be operating in two-team units," Hayate informed her. The calm, purple-haired Yugao smiled to Moriko, glancing nervously at their strange teammate. Genma nodded to her, ignoring Gai completely and twirling a senbon in his hand to hide his nervousness. Katsuko nodded to them each while Moriko stepped forward, clasping Yugao's hand and chatting with her enthusiastically about their last training session. Of course she sparred with Team Three. She trained with the entire village by now for sure, Katsuko mused. Katusko stiffened, but said nothing.

"Yagao, you remember, Gai-kun?" Moriko reintroduced excitedly.

"Yes, I believe I do," Yugao said, looking at him nervously.

"You are even more beautiful than the last time we met, Yugao-san. If our squads are matched I can promise not to let anything or anyone harm you!" he said excitedly. Katsuko's eyes bulged as she looked at her irritating teammate. She glanced at Moriko to see that she was just grinning away, proud of his promise to defend a comrade so readily. "If you return to Konoha with a single scratch on your person I shall be your slave for one week." Yugao cringed, looking a bit queasy at the idea and Moriko's smile faltered slightly.

Katsuko tried to look closer at Moriko who was acting a bit strangely. She did not miss how her teammate's eyes narrowed slightly at Yugao for the briefest moment before she seemed to realize she was glaring at her friend and quickly stopped herself, a flush of embarrassment touching her cheeks. A small grin appeared on Katsuko's face. She had been angry, if only for the briefest moment. "Good, it's about time that stupid brat felt anger, felt... jealousy," Katsuko thought to herself.

The fifteen-year-old Katsuko had never seen her Sharingan-wielding teammate show that sort of emotion before. What was funniest for the Nara girl was that Moriko didn't even see to understand what she was feeling yet. Katusko smirked, remembering the first time she'd ever told Hideko off and what Moriko had said afterwards. "_Jealousy_," she thought to herself smugly. Was she really interested in... Gai? The thought seemed unfathomable to Katsuko, but it was Moriko after all. Three years younger than the Uchiha and the strangest boy ever to bear the title of a Konoha Shinobi, what wasn't to like?

"Um, we're not paired. You will be traveling with Team Seven," Yugao said. The almost unnoticeable tension in Moriko's shoulders washed away and Katusko started laughing, Genma snorting from where he stood beside Yugao. She couldn't help it. It was too funny. Moriko really was as naïve as she had ever thought. It was a good thing that many of the shinobi in the room were Gai's age, too young to fully comprehend the emotions flying around. Katsuko frowned at that thought though, embarrassed to be the same rank as these ten to thirteen-year-olds.

"We're with Team One," Yugao continued, looking between Katsuko and Genma in confusion, but they were both silent after a few moments, Katsuko grinning while Genma's smirk remained.

As if on cue, Team One entered. They were led by Hyuuga Hizashi, their jounin sensei who looked at all of them as if his lavender eyes could pierce their very souls. Moriko stiffened instantly and her eyes flashed red for a brief moment as she looked upon the young jounin, brother to the Hyuuga clan leader. Her heartbeat picked up slightly and her breath hitched. Hayate placed a strong hand on her shoulder, with a frown. She drew a deep breath, attempting to calm herself. Nearly all the genin noticed her reaction, but Katsuko was not surprised by that. Hyuuga and Uchiha were the biggest rival clans in the village. Moriko had no personal issue with Hyuuga however, it was more about the man himself. She'd never told Katsuko why, but something Hizashi had done had gotten under her skin.

Kura and Matsu ambled in behind their sensei and Raidou took up the rear. The moment he entered though he headed straight for Genma who chuckled, clasping his shoulder with a smirk. "Hey man, looks like we're together," Genma said. Raidou nodded with a grin.

Teams One, Three, and Nine were from the same year, nine not being present on this mission. Teams Four and Seven were younger with the exception of Katsuko, but the exceptional skill on the two former teams was enough to even them out an acceptable amount with their older counterparts. Team Nine consisted of Asuma, Ibiki, and Shizune. Their squad was very impressive and most were surprised when the nine-year-old Shizune had been placed on their squad instead of Kakashi. She was a medic-nin prodigy to be sure, but Kakashi had been the strongest of the new genin during the formation of their team, a prodigy in ninjutsu as well as taijutsu. He was a true genius.

Katsuko knew that Kakashi was inwardly bitter that he'd been placed with Rin and Obito instead, but he wasn't stupid. He had the best jounin sensei out there so that evened it out for the most part. No one could be against their placement when they were the student of THE Yellow Flash.

Katsuko glanced over as Moriko took a seat around the table, Hayate following closely across the room, remaining between her and the Hyuuga jounin almost as if it was unconsciously done, but Katsuko knew better. Yugao sat across from the Uchiha and Hayate sat beside her after seeing Moriko firmly planted in a chair. Hayate practically fell into the chair, looking exhausted. He always did look tired for some reason. Genma and Raidou sat a short ways down the table, deep in conversation it seemed. Hizashi nodded for his other students to be seated and Kura and Matsu moved to sit beside Hayate. Their sensei stayed standing.

Kura-san was a Hyuuga novice. She and Matsu were best friends and it was hard to find one without the other. Kura took a few moments to glare at the uninterested Moriko. Moriko didn't entertain her attention though Katsuko could tell that her teammate's attention was still focused on at least one of the Hyuuga though her eyes did not turn his way. Moriko couldn't stand Hyuuga Hizashi's condescending stare, and was naturally affected by the presence of the Hyuuga, but as a general rule she chose to ignore the family rivalries rather then get herself involved in blood feuds and the like.

The young Uchiha had told Katsuko in the strictest of confidence once that her father had always been against the divide and that he had been in love with a white-eyed Hyuuga once, but she had gone on to marry someone else, a Hyuuga of course, Hyuuga Kura's father. Katsuko had always found that interesting... that Kura who hated Moriko so much might have been her sister had life turned out a bit differently. Clans were set in their ways however and the politics within them were often difficult to understand for outsiders.

Kakashi and Rin entered next. Kakashi did not pause. He walked around the table and sat beside Moriko without a word. Gai who had been going for the seat let out a loud, "HEY!" as he was brushed aside by the stronger shinobi.

"You haven't worn that in a while," he said, his voice calm, uncaring. Katsuko crossed her arms, trying to quash the anger that built up within her. She knew that Moriko was a part of an elite chuunin squad with Kakashi and Asuma, but she didn't like how familiar Kakashi seemed with her. It made Katsuko wonder just how much she missed out on not being allowed to perform on a higher-ranking squad. The ten year chuunin was one she had always wanted to fight with just to witness herself the skill of which everyone spoke so enthusiastically.

"Hey you!" Gai shouted, pointing his finger in Kakashi's face. Kakashi glanced at him, his eyes completely impassive. "I am the only one allowed to sit beside my Eternal Rival! You are not worthy to breathe the same air!" he declared.

The entire room quieted and eyes went to Gai. Moriko even looked at him, a small smile dawning on his face. "So make me move," Kakashi said, calmly. The tension in the room rose. Team Three had been exposed to Gai's odd behavior before, but not everyone in here had seen Gai at his worst, or best in Moriko's opinion. He was worse than Moriko sometimes, and he didn't even seem to have picked up the somber, quiet side Moriko sometimes accidentally displayed. He just never shut up. Katsuko growled in irritation.

"Who do you think you are?" Rin demanded from behind Gai. Katsuko groaned. That was the worst thing to ask their green-clad teammate.

Moriko leaned back in her chair nonchalantly with a smile, lacing her fingers behind her head and, nodding to Gai with an encouraging smile. He stepped forward holding up a thumbs up to the brown-haired girl, his thumb inches from her nose. "I am Maito Gai, the powerful and awe-inspiring Green Beast of Konoha! I am going to accomplish this mission and no enemy shall stand in my way. I will prove that I am strong and worthy of the title shinobi though few believe in me!" Gai said, too loudly once again, causing Katsuko to sigh, but Moriko only laughed, her eyes lighting up in childish delight.

"And don't forget it," she said, grinning broadly and staring at Rin almost daring the younger girl to say something about it. Katsuko really hoped she did, because that was the only type of situation that Moriko would allow her to fight Rin, only in defense of a teammate. The girl was absolutely horrendous, more interested in getting with her teammate than helping her teammate. She was proud when she bantered off the number of times Kakashi had had to save her life as if it was something to proud of.

"Man you're weird," Obito muttered, shaking his head. "Hey niisan," he said, glancing over at Moriko and waving. She smiled broadly in response. He took an empty seat a few seats from Kakashi with a wide yawn, lifting his goggles and rubbing his right eye. Rin shivered, not moving for a moment as if afraid Gai would touch her. She rushed to sit beside Obito, forgetting the seats next to Kakashi because Gai was still blocking the path to them.

He let out an irritating sound, glaring at the back of Kakashi's head. It was an irritating humming sound that began to emit from his throat and Katsuko groaned in embarrassment, covering her face with her small hand and trying to block it out, but it continued. She finally could take it no longer. She marched up to Gai, raised her fist and brought it down on the top of his head. He winced and looked to her. "Sit-down-Gai, before I make you sit down," she said, barely disguising her hatred.

Matsu leaned across the table to Katsuko as she sat across from him, a few seats down from Rin at the large table and whispered, "Is he serious?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Dead serious," was all she said, but inside she was thinking along the same lines as Matsu. She and Moriko had made an oath though. Gai was hers and she... she was Gai's. They were teammates... their bond was unbreakable. She sighed. It had been much easier to think of herself and Moriko connected in such a way. To be honest, the last three years had been absolutely unbearable for Katsuko, following her then-ten-year-old teammate to the rank of chuunin and now once more being subordinate as Moriko had picked up another title of Special Chuunin, all the while having to deal with the idiocy that was Maito Gai. It was too much . She couldn't explain how much the two of them had continued to drive her crazy. Moriko's cheerful self had become even worse since Gai's introduction and Gai himself would have been enough to deal with. He was ridiculous.

Moriko was thirteen as well now. Katsuko knew she would be jounin soon. She had only eleven months until her self-imposed career-ending promise finally ran out. She was dead serious about that too. Katsuko wished she could say that she wouldn't make it, that she would be forced by her way of the ninja to give up on shinobi life, but it wasn't likely. Katsuko wasn't sure what Moriko was working on as Uchiha were extremely secretive about their jutsu, but she knew it would be equally devastating.

"Our teams are paired for this mission?" Kakashi asked, darkly.

"Yes and I don't think we have a jounin, which means we will probably be carrying the sensitive materials," Moriko muttered, tapping her fingers upon the table. Katsuko was listening in. She knew it was probably a private discussion, but she didn't really care.

"Right, because that would too obvious sending it with Hizashi," Kakashi said, softly.

Moriko lowered her voice so that Katsuko could hardly even catch. She fought hard, concentrating all the chakra she could to her ears, listening as closely as possible. "Our two teams are the strongest out of the four. Hayate is amazing, but his squad is a bit weak behind him. He cannot carry them both," Moriko pointed out.

"You agree then," Kakashi muttered.

"Yes, if this is the type of mission I think it is, they will send the scroll with us and Hizashi with the other squads," Moriko said softly. The noted absence of his title as sensei was the only indication of her disrespect for the Hyuuga. She couldn't help her natural inclination to dislike him… he had after all treated her with derision in the past, with less regard than her own clan-members.

"So who leads," Kakashi mumbled.

"Unless otherwise assigned?" Moriko said, contemplatively. Katsuko leaned towards them, trying to catch his response, but he didn't get the opportunity to respond.

"What? Why?" Matsu said loudly. Eyes turned to them. Moriko grinned effortlessly, not missing a beat. Katsuko was distracted with Moriko and Kakashi, but apparently Moriko was listening to one conversation even as she and Kakashi had a serious one on the other side of the table. Moriko didn't miss anything, apparently she'd heard the conversation before as she responded like she'd been listening the whole time.

"Because I told him it would be fun!" she said laughingly. "Remember Gai-kun, the eighty-meter waterfall just outside of the whirlpool village!"

"Ah, yes, I broke my arm jumping off of it, but Katsuko-chan was able to set it. I felt no pain at all!" he exclaimed. "We fought off those bandits the next day no problem! I took down three with only one arm!" Katsuko ignored the green-clad shinobi trying to put her attention anywhere else, thinking of the possibility of leadership Kakashi and Moriko had been discussing. They didn't just assume Kakashi would lead? He was a genius to the highest degree, more intelligent than any other shinobi here by far and more skilled as well. Why would Moriko? Had she ever led a mission between them? Kakashi was amazing. At ten years old, he was already a three-year chuunin and she suspected he'd run on missions with ANBU before. He was a genius and Moriko was… well an Uchiha, but beyond that nothing special in the eyes of the village. Katsuko knew though at the rate Moriko was going, she'd be unstoppable one day and that day was not too far off.

"That was the mission Katsuko-chan received chuunin," Moriko said with an openly proud voice. Katsuko was distracted from the previous private conversation at that thought. Moriko looked over at her with a smile and Katsuko suddenly remembered why Moriko and she had been so close. No matter what, Moriko believed in her, believed that she was good and strong and would never let her down.

Katusko looked away, staring at the table angrily. Moriko was a fool. When they were assigned different squads, and they would be due to their separate specialties, Katsuko would cut ties with her old teammate and her teammate's new "best friend". Katsuko could not wait until the days of Team Four were done for good.

Kakashi and Moriko did not return to their conversation as the doors opened and Sandaime Hokage walked in, looking dead serious. Moriko's smile washed away. She stood as he entered and the others did the same. He waved for them to reseat themselves and even Hizashi-sensei sat down at the opposite end of the table, folding his arms across his chest. Katusko sat straighter, looking at the hokage seriously, the rest of the room washing away.

"This is a dangerous mission. You all know and understand that by the rank that it has been given. All communication with Kumo and Kusa have been cut off in the last two days. We have no more jounin left in the village to spare for this mission and the higher-level chuunin are almost all tied up with village security. The chuunin among you understand that very well," he said, his eyes lingering on each of them for a brief moment: Kakashi, Moriko, Katsuko, Hayate, and Raidou.

"Therefore, I have no choice but to look to the youngest generation of full-fledged shinobi I have in this village. You are all going to be involved in this mission and each of you will very likely encounter enemy shinobi resistance. I am sorry that I must ask this of you all, but you are well aware that failure is not an option," the hokage said, tiredly. This war was aging him quickly; they could all see that.

"Hai," came the sober chorus from the genin and chuunin around the table.

"Kakashi," the hokage said. Kakashi stood slowly.

"Today you will face a difficult task," the hokage said. "You will take into your hands the command of two squads, three genin and two chuunin will look to you and I must ask you if you are ready to take on that responsibility."

"Hai, hokage-sama. I know what is expected of me as a chuunin," Kakashi said, somberly.

"I am asking you not as a chuunin, but simply as Hatake Kakashi. Are you ready?" the hokage replied lowly.

"Hai," Kakashi said.

"Good. Minato said you would be," the hokage muttered. The ANBU behind him had his arms crossed and was eying Kakashi closely from behind his mask.

"You may sit," the hokage said. Kakashi sat down.

"Your mission is a straightforward one, but it is one that I know will not be easy to accomplish," the hokage said. "Hizashi's squads shall head out first. They will be going directly towards Kusagakure, the grass village. Our alliance with them is decidedly the strongest and our enemies know that. Kakashi, your platoon will be headed for Kumogakure along route Red 2. Moriko knows this road well, if I'm not mistaken," he said, glancing to the kunoichi who inclined her head mutely.

"The six of you are likely to be intercepted on your way. You both have a set of the scrolls, but they are each different. Kakashi, when you reach Kumogakure, your team will head directly towards Kusagakure with the scroll for them. Speed will be the key. The first platoon to report back successfully will decide which of the codes we shall use and send confirmation to both villages. If one platoon does not return... their codes will be assumed to be given over to the enemy and used in such a manner as our strategists see fit."

"So it is a race?" Gai asked loudly, interrupting the hokage as he opened his mouth to speak. The others looked at him in shock at his disrespect. He did not seem to notice.

"A very dangerous and difficult race, yes Gai-kun," the hokage said, nodding his head to the boy, who was nearly bouncing in his seat now.

"Our platoon will not fail you, Hokage-sama!" he exclaimed, giving him an enthusiastic thumbs up. The hokage smiled and nodded.

"I see you have inherited one of your more exuberant teammate's confidence and enthusiasm. It is something that you will need on this mission," the hokage told him.

"Hai!" Gai said, clenching his fists tightly. Katsuko looked over to see Moriko watching Gai with a fond smile.

Not even the vivacious Uchiha was as high strung as Gai. He had not taken a part of her and changed it into him, but formed his own entirely new persona, one that had likely been lying dormant inside of him for all these years of mediocrity. All it had taken was one shinobi's faith, one shinobi's ability to believe in him to give him the confidence to excel. Few were not mistaken into thinking that he had become who he was solely because of Moriko, but the three of them knew better. Maito Gai was his own person, brave and strong, loyal to a fault and determined to his last breath. He was truly a remarkable person, whether Katsuko liked and respected him or not and it was of course the latter only.

"Do you all understand your mission?" the hokage questioned.

"Hai," the all agreed. The hokage nodded and the ANBU behind him stepped forward. He reached into his long jacket, pulling out four scrolls, two in each hand. He set two in front of Kakashi and threw the other two to Hizashi who caught them easily.

"First Platoon, White Platoon," the hokage said, looking at the side of the table that held Team One and Team Three. "You head out immediately."

"Hai," they agreed and in a split-second they were all gone from their seats and the door left open.

"Second Platoon, Red Platoon," the hokage turned to the others still in the room. "Your mission will commence in one hour. You have that much time to plan Kakashi." There was a soft beep and Katusko knew that though she'd not seen Moriko move that it had been her stopwatch. She was meticulous after all.

"Hai, hokage-sama." Kakashi bowed. He turned to leave the room and his new "platoon" went to follow him.

Katsuko was momentarily distracted by the names for the platoons. Of course everything in this village had to do with clans. Red platoon was likely named for the two Uchiha on their team and White for the platoon with the two Hyuuga. It was irritating to her sometimes, how the rivalry shadowed all other clans in the village. Although the Nara clan was decidedly disinterested in such nonsense, for her it was a bit insulting.

"Uchiha Moriko, please stay for a moment," the hokage said. Moriko paused mid-step, turning on the ball of her foot gracefully and bowing with a carefree smile.

"Gai-san?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder.

"I shall be waiting in front of the building for you Mori-chan! I have been given an hour for extra training!" he exclaimed with a confident thumbs up.

"Do not overwork yourself this time Gai. We have an important mission ahead of us, more important than any before," Moriko said, her eyes commanding his attention and serious voice voice ensuring his obedience.

"Of course I will keep that in mind, Mori-chan. I wouldn't want you to outdo me on our mission!" he cried.

"Ah," Moriko smiled. Gai disappeared out the door and Moriko's face become serious once more.

"Kouichi has been on the border for three weeks. I was unable to make contact with him before my selection of your squad," the hokage began. Moriko stepped forward, her fists clenching.

"We are ready," Moriko said seriously, knowing exactly where this was going.

"I am not doubting your ability, Moriko," the hokage said, seriously. "Gai is very new and I am told he uses little other than taijutsu. I know he has accompanied you on high-ranking missions before, but this is a very important mission to the village security. You are not putting your teammate in danger just to take on this mission?" he asked, his voice low and worried.

"Gai-san is the strongest taijutsu specialist on this mission. I had to explain this to the captain of that ANBU team that picked me up near the gate when they were short. I promised he was ready then and I swear it again to you. He also has great ability in his summoning jutsu and his affinity for fire jutsu is commendable though still slightly underdeveloped. I have been granted permission from my clan to teach him a few fire techniques, base level of course. He is learning quickly. He has picked up a few jutsu Kouichi-sensei has not had time to observe yet, Hokage-sama. All he has needed is a chance to prove himself and this mission should provide that chance. I hope I do not speak out of turn, but in the absence of my sensei and as the senior-ranking member of my squad for the past two months, I request that the hokage considers Maito Gai for a promotion to the rank of chuunin. As the political climate does not seem conducive to a chuunin exam this year, recommendation can be the only form of promotion for him and I would put him in command of any genin squad in a heartbeat," she said emphatically.

The hokage was silent for a few moments, a bit shocked at her forward request. "Uchiha Moriko, I shall take your request under great consideration," the hokage said, glancing back at the ANBU behind him with a small secretive smile.

"You have picked up a few jutsu since your last mission, yes?" he questioned. Moriko calmed down, her expression turning very serious. "I request that you do not show your full abilities unless absolutely necessary."

"You are limiting me hokage-sama?" she asked, carefully. For him to limit her, he must be very serious as nothing got past the hokage. He knew how she limited herself already, training with different shinobi different teams so not one would know her true abilities except her green-clad teammate of course if rumors held any truth.

"For now," the hokage said. "You may use your ninjutsu, but only those which you have learned from your own clan or from your comrades in this village, not the jutsu you have taken from your encounters with Iwa and Suna shinobi," he said.

"H-hai hokage, but I must beg one condition of you," she said, not seeming to hesitate in bartering with the hokage, something few would dare. The hokage chuckled, nodding for her to continue. "If one of my platoon-mates is in danger, I beg you to give me permission to use anything within my power to keep them safe," she said.

"If it comes down to the life of one of your teammates, I fully expect you to do everything possible to save them. You are your father's daughter after all," he said with a smile. He could remember the first he had ever seen her wear those clothes. The ANBU behind him had nearly toppled over in shock. She was the spitting image of her father, a bit more feminine of course, but all the same… deadly. Her twin brother could have been a clone had he been given the years to reach that age where child gave way to man.

"Is that all, hokage-sama?" Moriko asked, her small hands reaching to pull her mask up around her face, making the resemblance that much more striking. Her father had always worn a mask outside of the village walls or when he was in the presence of foreign shinobi. With it, the girl could have been mistaken for a young Uchiha Mamoru, prepared for his first large-scale mission as a jounin.

"For now Moriko-chan, good luck."

"Arigatou, hokage-sama," Moriko whispered, before disappearing in a whirl of flames, leaving the floor where she had stood charred. He chuckled.

"I haven't seen that jutsu since Mamoru," the ANBU said behind him soberly.

"Yes, and I doubt the maintenance crew missed it's presence in my building," the hokage said, stepping over the charred ground and heading towards the door. He had business to see to.

"Come Minato," he said. The ANBU had been staring dazedly at the charred ground. He snapped out of it, rushing after the hokage, but glancing once more back at the blackened tile before looking forward with resolve.

"Hai, hokage-sama," he muttered.

Once they'd gathered at the gate, it became clear just how young their team was. Obito paced back and forth while Rin looked around nervously. Katsuko herself, was extremely nervous and Gai was doing one-handed push-ups in an attempt to hide his own nerves. Moriko's only tell that she was bothered by any of this was her dark, serious expression. She was usually much more carefree, more exuberant about the mission at hand. Kakashi seemed perfectly still though, but he was the only one.

"So our mission is the same, but more enemies will be drawn to Hizashi-sensei's platoon merely because of his jounin presence," Rin clarified. Obito grinned and Gai jumped to his feet giving her a thumbs up.

"That doesn't mean we won't get any action though," Gai said, clenching his fist in excitement. "I must train more!" he exclaimed. Wordlessly he dropped his hands to the ground and lifted his body straight up into the air and began to push himself up diligently that way.

"Two Uchiha will never be defeated in battle. It is unheard of," Obito said, lacing his fingers together behind his head and grinning madly.

"Don't you mean one and a half Uchiha? I don't really think you can be counted," Kakashi said, darkly from his place standing apart from the group.

"Teme!" Obito shouted rushing towards Kakashi, but a hand grabbed his fists, spinning him around and holding him tightly, his elbow twisted behind his back.

"Take it back, Kakashi," Moriko said dangerously, her back to Kakashi, her grip on her cousin very strong. He gasped and stopped struggling when he realized who it was.

"We have a mission to accomplish," he said his voice cold and uncaring. Moriko released Obito only restrain to him tightly when he tried to rush Kakashi once more. She grabbed him in a tight hug. "He is our Platoon Leader niichan, and it is important right now that we set our personal feelings aside," she said. Obito growled, pushing her away and crossing his arms with a huff. He pulled off his goggles to rub his eyes in irritation.

"Don't worry Obi-kun. You will activate your eyes soon for sure, and he'll feel stupid when you do, when you show him how much stronger you are," Moriko exclaimed, winking confidently. A slow grin pulled on Obito's lips and his tension faded completely.

"You hear that Kakashi?" Obito shouted. "I will be stronger than you!"

"Stop telling him lies, Moriko. He's a lazy idiot. Even with the sharingan he'd be a sad excuse for a ninja," Kakashi muttered. Moriko flickered and was standing in front of him, glaring into his passive, uncaring eyes dangerously.

"Keep it up and I'll be the one to take you out, Kakashi-san," Moriko said. Kakashi didn't respond. That was one fight he had been interested in for a long time. He was sure he would defeat her, but how she would respond to some of his higher-level techniques would prove interesting. Then again, he'd never faced an Uchiha seriously before. It would be a good learning experience for the both of them, given they didn't accidentally kill the other. She was older and had been a chuunin just as long.

"Can we get on with the mission?" Katsuko asked, knowing that the thoughts of the two elite chuunin were along the same lines and they could very easily take on that battle just to see who might win.

"Yosh, is it time now!?" Gai cried, pushing himself once very hard. He flew up into the air and landed on his feet, ready and rearing to go.

"You're so lame," Rin said, looking at him with disgust. Katsuko stepped towards her threateningly, her eyes narrowed, but Obito moved forward in her defense.

"We are a team. All of us now," Moriko said, her voice serious. "The next person who causes an altercation, I shall deal with if Kakashi chooses not to."

"What gives you the right? Wearing a mask like Kakashi, doesn't make you a gen-"

The katana strapped to Moriko's back was in her hand in a second. She leapt forward, but was intercepted by a kunai but it was not Rin holding it steadily against her. Her eyes narrowed upon a set of dark orbs. "Mori-chan," Gai muttered, grunting a bit at the effort of staying her blade. Katsuko glanced to the side in surprise. Her wrist was held by the Gai's strong hand, lightning chakra sparkling in the palm of her hand. He was still improving drastically to stay them both so quickly or at all.

Katsuko felt a rush of anger towards him for stopping her… for stopping them both. Sure, Katsuko had never passed up a chance to turn on Rin. She felt it was something any young kunoichi needed if they thought it was good to be protected by her teammates rather than to protect them, but this time was not the same. This time Rin spoke completely out of line. She spoke of things she didn't understand. Though Katsuko had long ago pushed her connections with Moriko deep down and locked them there, nothing could keep the memories of that dark time from Katsuko, the time after Moriko's father's death. She knew what that mask meant to the other kunoichi. That was something that was between Katsuko and Moriko… something not even Gai could understand. Even if Moriko tried to explain it to him, he couldn't understand because he hadn't been there.

Kakashi had pushed Rin backwards, standing in front of her, watching Moriko with a bored expression. Obito stood between Kakashi and his cousin who was held back by the green-clad shinobi. Moriko glared at Rin with fierceness that would have made any genin cower, which is what Rin did staring at the angry kunoichi from around Kakashi's free arm which she clung to pitifully. "You will not speak a word to me again… not one word," Moriko said in a low, deadly tone that sent chills dancing over even Katsuko's skin. Moriko stepped back from Gai, but her right hand was still shaking blade held tightly in it as if she were only just keeping herself from attacking.

Katsuko jerked her hand out of Gai's grasp. "She is not playing around," she muttered. "You're damn lucky it was Gai's kunai that stopped her because she would have torn straight through Kakashi's." Katsuko had seen Moriko kill before… only once, but she knew the look that had been in her eyes then. It had been identical to the aura radiating off of her now.

"Niichan," Obito whispered, walking forward carefully. "Niichan she didn't know. She didn't know," he repeated, placing a hand on her shoulder. She remained stiff, staring at Rin with anger in her eyes. She jerked from his grasp with a sharp movement. Rin was shocked, obviously not understanding what she'd said to strike such a nerve.

"That's enough from all of you," Kakashi said, finally stepping in as the leader of the mission.

Gai walked to stand behind Moriko, placing a hand on her left shoulder. She let out a breath, finally relaxing. She drew a few calming breaths and replaced her weapon in it's sheath over her shoulder. She raised her hand, squeezing Gai's hand upon her shoulder and nodding to her cousin. "Moriko, you will lead the way as you know this territory better than the others. Obito and Rin, follow behind her. Katsuko, you will run beside me. I have to ensure your safety as the medic on this mission. Gai will take up the rear security. Can you handle that?" Kakashi looked over at him. He nodded sharply, clenching his fists tightly. Rin would likely have, in normal circumstances, demanded to know why Katsuko was the medic and not her, but the fear of the situation only moments before stayed her tongue. She still trembled with the memory of Moriko's wild eyes and the murderous aura emanating off of her still.

"We will be attacked," he said with certainty. "Be ready." He nodded to Moriko who turned towards Kumo, closing her eyes tightly and pulling her chakra together. She looked down at her stop watch, staring for a few moments, before suddenly performing a swift hand sign and opened her blood red eyes and taking off with all her speed, leaving Obito to drag Rin after her as the poor genin couldn't even keep track of her with her eyes.

"Don't fall behind!" Moriko called behind her.

"Hai," her cousin responded from a short ways back. She could not afford to move slowly and they needed to stay close together in case something went wrong. This was going to be dangerous. She trusted him more than any other shinobi in the village outside of her team. He would not let the weak girl fall behind. Gai would have their back covered and with Hatake Kakashi as their power base, it would take an army to take them down… though that might be what they faced.

Red eyes scanned the area adamantly, her goggles protecting her sensitive eyes from any branches or airborne debris. An Uchiha missed little and while it didn't take in the chakra of an inanimate object from miles ahead as the Byakuugan could, it could do so much more in battle. She saw the beauty in both abilities Sharingan and Byakuugan, but as she had only seen through her red eyes, she couldn't truly say whose was better. She was automatically biased in favor of her own.

Any movement was automatically detected and analyzed by the blazing red eyes hidden behind the clear lenses of her black-framed goggles. She danced in and out of trees gracefully, feet landing upon branch after branch. She had perfect chakra control, her legs using an adequate amount to keep a steady pace while her eyes took very little to maintain. She use precisely enough to not debilitate her should they run into any resistance.

By the end of the first day's run, Rin was past her limit. They had to stop and rest… at least for a while. Even Katsuko was tired by the end. Katsuko had a larger handicap than the others. She couldn't use her chakra to keep pace with them, not because she wasn't capable of the chakra control, but because she was the medic and her chakra was meant for the healing of her team and nothing else. She was quite set in that rule. Rin was simply… unable to sustain.

Kakashi called them to a halt and after much complaining on Gai's part they decided to camp for the night. Kakashi quickly instructed him to scout the area, probably to get some space. Katsuko went with him to ensure he didn't screw anything up and Obito and Moriko set about preparing the trip wires and other traps. It was a particular skill of the Uchiha clan, one that even Obito was especially proficient at despite his low status with the clan. As the years drew on without the activation of his sharingan the more shame he brought to himself in the eyes of his family. He was only ten, but times were hard and it was harder to be a blind Uchiha as those without access to the Sharingan were called, in the midst of the third great shinobi war.

"Moriko-chan," Obito spoke softly. "Are you afraid?" She looked up at him, her black eyes taking in his slumped shoulders, his downturned gaze.

"Every mission brings with it an understandable sense of fear, Obi-kun," she whispered, pretending to focus on rigging the exploding tags in her hands, but really her attention was almost completely on her cousin.

"I'm not talking about the mission," he said. "Do you ever fear you won't live up to their expectations? I know you're the strongest chuunin in the village, but sometimes…"

"Obi-kun… I've never been the strongest," she whispered, keeping her voice low enough that Rin could not here. Kakashi had left a few minutes ago, not telling them what he was up to but she was fairly certain he was doing his own sweep of the area to ensure it was clear. "I try my hardest. I put on a good show, but I'll never have a chance to become as great as you will."

"Moriko," Obito muttered, unsure of what to say.

"Have you ever wondered why I chose fourteen?" she asked. She knew that he understood what she meant. Fourteen being the age she had vowed to become jounin by. "I doubt you know this, but fourteen is the age where kunoichi of our clan are eligible for betrothal and marriage. I can be forced to marry the day I turn fourteen Obito."

"But that's stupid!" he declared. "Fugaku-sama would not make you-"

"Wouldn't he?" she interrupted sharply. Rin's head turned their direction. Moriko closed her eyes and let out a breath, a sharp pain in her chest.

"It is the way of the Uchiha, Obito-niisan and we are Uchiha," she said. "My sharingan activated when I was nine years old, uncommonly early, which increases my odds for an early marriage. Also, I kept it to myself for the first six months, but I'm certain when Shisui caught a glimpse of my three-tomoe when I was ten he told Fugaku-sama immediately."

"So you can produce male heirs who might activate early as well," Obito muttered disgustedly. "You think being jounin will make a difference, that they might not…" he trailed off, frustrated.

"Perhaps… the hokage will do what he can I know. He is a good man, better than any I've ever known," she said. "Fugaku will not wish to create tension with the hokage. It is already an uneasy relationship."

Obito nodded in understanding. Fugaku was well-known for his rocky relations with the hokage. It was very likely that he would not take up arms over the matter simply so that he could win a more important one. After all, Moriko was just a kunoichi. She was of little consequence to the clan leader. Her rarely arranged marriages personally but in the cases of chuunin kunoichi, it fell to him to make matches. There hadn't been a jounin kunoichi in the Uchiha family in a while, mostly due to their archaic rules that limited them within the clan and without. Obito had never heard of this one though.

"I'm sorry Mori-chan," he said. "I wish I could change things for you." She was silent, hands still working away, though her mind was in a completely different place. He placed a hand over hers, stilling them. She looked up at him, smiling against the tears dancing in her eyes, tears that he knew she would not let fall. She was too stubborn. "I will do anything I can to help you make jounin," he promised.

"Let's start by making it through this mission," she whispered. He nodded, retracting his hand. They both set out to set the traps as soon as Kakashi, Katsuko, and Gai were safe inside the perimeter. By the time they returned, Kakashi was pouring over a map. Gai was posted in a high tree on guard duty while Katsuko and Rin were fast asleep.

"Go ahead, Obi-kun. I want to speak with Kakashi-san, if you don't mind," she said. He nodded, choosing a place near Rin to sleep.

Moriko knelt beside Kakashi, joining him as he looked over their route. "We're going to face opposition no matter which way we choose. This whole route is treacherous," Kakashi muttered. "Do we draw them out here… or here…?" His finger traced from the first position to the second.

"My team will work better in this pass here," she pointed. "We should obviously assume they will try to take us in rough terrain."

"Where they have the advantage," Kakashi nodded. "Have you been training with those-"

"Hokage-sama does not wish for me to use any jutsu from Suna or Iwa," she interrupted. He sighed in slight irritation.

"Well it can't be helped," he muttered, eyes running over the map again.

"Which route are we taking, taicho?" she asked softly. Red Two was their given route, but it had a number of subroutes. The hokage had left it to them. He glanced up at the title, sounding strange to his ears, but didn't comment on it. He lowered his finger to draw it along the path he had decided they would take. She nodded. "That would have been my choice as well," she agreed.

"I know," he said.

"Of course you do, Kakashi. You know one of these days someone is going to surprise you," she told him.

"Not likely," he said softly.

She nodded, "Maybe you're right. I'll take the second watch," she said.

"He says he will not sleep tonight," Kakashi told her.

"I know," she replied as if that were obvious. "I meant I'd take tomorrow." She smiled, walking away from him to the foot of the tree where Gai was guarding diligently, completely focused on what was around them She jumped up beside him and settled herself on the thick branch, her head resting upon her arm, near his leg. Kakashi glanced up, frowning at the pair of them. Gai placed a hand on her shoulder and she relaxed instantly in response, an almost unconscious reaction.

Moriko was wrong in thinking he was not surprised. She surprised him… over and over again. He watched her drift into sleep, the green-clad genin's hand grounding her, making her feel safe. Usually she slept uneasily on missions if at all, plagued by nightmares if she was able to drift off at all. He wondered what it was about that connection… The genin was nowhere near as strong as he, as strong as Hayate, and they'd been through much more together. Human interactions usually seemed so simple to him, but her connection to this genin… Kakashi knew he was missing something… but he couldn't figure out what it was.

He didn't look away when the strange genin's piercing black eyes met his. His gaze was not threatening in any way not that Kakashi would be intimidated by such a dropout anyhow. He was weak. Kakashi had seen that first hand, and yet despite Kakashi's own efforts to discourage him at the academy, he was here… on an important mission for Konoha after a couple years on the team of one of the best chuunin in the village. Kakashi looked away lazily, gazing into the fire. How stupid, wasting thoughts on a dropout like him.

Moriko awoke some time before dawn, a warm gentle hand upon her shoulder. "Gai," she murmured, recognizing the touch immediately. She blinked a few times, coming to consciousness slowly.

"Ah my eternal rival! You have of course beaten the sun to shine this morning!" he exclaimed. She couldn't help the smile that brightened her face. "And with this radiance, the sun shall surely have trouble overcoming your natural brilliance today!"

"Shhh, Gai-kun," she admonished, looking down at where the others were sleeping, even Kakashi appeared to have laid down to sleep. He grinned at her without a care in the world.

"Anything?" she asked.

"No, none of the tortoises I have stationed around the area have noted any irregularities in chakra, nor have they picked up any signs of enemy shinobi having been in the area before now," he told her proudly still too loudly but he wasn't shouting anymore. That was definitely an improvement. She liked his loud enthusiasm, just not when others were asleep.

"Good," she murmured. She looked down, not particularly surprised to see Rin still snoozing away. She was the first to sleep and would likely be the last to wake if given that opportunity. She dropped down from the tree, landing silently below. Gai followed. She went to awaken Katsuko who got up immediately. Kakashi awakened upon their approach, though he didn't acknowledge it until Moriko placed a hand on his shoulder. Gai knelt beside Obito, shaking him lightly. He mumbled, turning over. Gai shook him harder while Kakashi woke Rin. She came to a bit slowly, but still Obito was asleep.

Moriko smirked at her cousin, waving Gai off, before he broke one of Obito's bones shaking him like that. She knelt down beside him, leaning over very close in his ear. "Wake up Obi-kun," she whispered in his ear. He jerked way, looking around wildly and covering his ear with his hand.

"Mori-chan! Don't do that," he complained. "It's weird!" Moriko only smirked at him.

"Shouldn't take so long waking up," she told him.

"He always does," Rin said. Her mouth snapped shut however when Moriko turned her eyes upon the girl with a deadly calm that sent a shiver through her.

"Moriko," Gai said sternly. Her goggled eyes turned towards him and she nodded her head.

"Kakashi-san… are we heading out now?" she asked.

"You all have five minutes to gather all your gear," he said. She and Obito nodded to each other, setting off to collect their traps. They would leave no trace of themselves behind. Once back at the camp site Obito frowned, looking at his cousin.

"What is it?" she asked.

"There are turtles everywhere," he said. Moriko chuckled.

"Tortoises actually. Gai-kun is spectacular at summoning jutsu," she said, proudly.

"You… you can summon?" Obito stammered. Rin looked at him in surprise as well. Gai grinned widely, giving them both a thumbs up and a blindingly-white grin.

"That's… amazing," Rin murmured, then flinched, glancing in Moriko's direction, but the girl was too busy beaming at her teammate to say anything.

"You are really strong," Obito murmured.

"Plenty of shinobi have learned to summon as genin," Kakashi said, dispassionately. Obito glanced at his teammate.

"Gai is as strong as you," Obito said, dynamically. "If not stronger. You have no idea what he can do." Kakashi glanced lazily towards Moriko who didn't negate Obito's statement in the least.

"Ready, Kakashi?" she asked. "If we leave within the next 2 minutes, we will have the optimal window to travel the chosen route and provided we have no interference, we shall make it to our next checkpoint in six hours and twenty-five minutes with a 3% margin for fluctuation of speed and change of terrain." Kakashi inclined his head, glancing once more at the weird green-clad genin before taking off after her.

Kakashi watched Moriko's back, considering her mood. She was feeling good about the day obviously. She moved with a speed that even her own teammates could barely manage. His own embarrassing two teammates were struggling quite noticeably. It was a good speed though and would likely get them to the village in four or five days with the rest time they required. Luck was not on their side however and as the sun reached it's highest peak, Gai leapt forward, tackling Katsuko from the air. Kakashi reacted quickly, turning and meeting his enemy's ax with his sword. The enemy's axe was heavier though and came down on his head… hard. Blood went flying.

"KAKASHI!" Rin screamed in distress.

**AUTHOR NOTE: Hey everyone. This story doesn't appear to have much interest. :-/ I was hoping for more as I really enjoy this story more than Where you go, I will follow, but it may just be a slow week I suppose. Anyhow, let me know if I should continue. I'll definitely put up the next chapter (that cliffhanger's a bit cruel), but I'm not sure it's worth pursuing too seriously if no one is very interested. :-/ It'll break my heart if people don't love it like I do. I don't like my heart broken. *insert awkward, sad chuckle**


	3. Chapter 3

A Tale of Love and Loss

Maito Gai/Original Character

Disclaimer: The fandom is Naruto and it of course does not belong to me along with many of the characters portrayed. I will do my best to remain true to the characters

Chapter: A Captain is Betrayed

"KAKASHI!" Rin screamed in distress. Moriko turned on a dime, black eyes cold and sharp behind her black goggles. She didn't spare Kakashi's falling form a second look as the enemy went for Obito and Rin. Obito pushed Rin behind him, holding two kunai in his hands, prepared to defend her.

Moriko leapt in front of Obito as their enemy headed for what was clearly the weaker pair. She had knocked the enemy's axe from his hands after trading a few minor blows and his eyes widened as she came face-to-face with him, her three-tomoe sharingan finally making its appearance. She smirked at the instant recognition and terror, though it was hidden behind her mask. He blinked, throwing her back with his superior strength. She stood unaffected by the large difference in physical strength, staring at him. She could hear the others fighting, but her focus was with this one.

"For attempting to harm Obito, you shall die by my hand," she informed him calmly. He stared at her in shock.

"Uchiha," he whispered, a modicum of fear registering there.

"Uchiha," she agreed, pacing back and forth before him. The heat of the sun breaking through the trees, the heat feeling like a heavy blanket over them both.

"You Uchiha care only for yourselves. I break your comrade's skull in half with my axe and you care only about your brother," he said, sneering. Obito did look strongly alike to her. He was incorrect, but correct in guessing the relation at least.

"As if scum like you could ever lay a scratch on my comrade," she muttered, glancing over his shoulder where a silver-haired chuunin made short work of dispatching an enemy, glancing over at them with a bored expression in his eyes. He didn't move to her aid though, going to help Obito and Rin instead.

"What? I-" he closed his mouth. "A substitution jutsu," he muttered.

"You are not very intelligent. It took you two minutes and thirty-two seconds to realize that your attack failed only after my prompting and your teammate took only twenty-four seconds to reach the same conclusion without assistance," she said. "It is too bad because I was looking forward to a good fight. Perhaps you shall surprise me!" she exclaimed with a wink, sounding as if she were really looking forward to it. He frowned, but she didn't move. She didn't even give him a chance to register her genjutsu. He was frozen for only a moment before her clone buried its sword in his back, the bloodied end coming out the front. "Hn," she muttered, shaking her head.

"Kakashi!" Rin cried. Moriko looked her direction, frowning at the sight of the girl being carted off. Moriko knew her not to be that weak however convinced Katsuko was of that. Her swirling sharingan eyes took in the situation critically and she smirked, turning to help Gai finish off a mid-range ninjutsu user he just could not get close enough to hit despite his inhuman speed. He waved her off however, declaring that he would defeat the shinobi himself or he would do a thousand push ups. Rin had already knocked her enemy unconscious with a medical ninjutsu as Moriko had expected so she looked around trying to find someone else to assist.

The others were finishing their fights swiftly. Kakashi's enemy lay twitching on the ground, having been dealt a discreet shock of electricity to her heart. He was quite adept at lightning-type chakra after all. She looked at the kunoichi, sending her into a genjutsu state in case she decided to recover too quickly. Gai let off a barrage of flaming fists so intense that the wave could be felt by his teammates behind him. It was overwhelming. The shinobi before him cried out in pain, thrown back into a tree as the fire continued to pound into him. He fell limp and Moriko immediately rushed forward to put out the fires with a swift water jutsu.

"New trick?'' Kakashi asked.

"Not copied if that's what you mean," she replied with a shrug.

"Do you wish to interrogate them? They do not have hitai-ate," Moriko said.

"Best not to leave our bases uncovered," Katsuko said, stepping forward.

"I have been instructed to waste no time with such matters," Kakashi said. "We move on."

"Rin is injured," Obito argued. The girl was bent over herself, holding a hand to her bleeding side. She had been in control of most of the situation, but was unable to escape completely unscathed apparently.

"She will have to keep up," Kakashi said coldly. Moriko felt irritation at the comment.

"Kakashi, surely if we allow Katsuko at least the time to heal-" Moriko began diplomatically, but she was interrupted.

"We leave now," he ordered. Gai bristled. He was unused to others giving Moriko orders. She was their squad leader though for the mission he was the platoon leader and she was outranked. Gai's fists still clenched at his sides.

"Fine," she said sourly. She walked to Rin, brushing Obito aside. She took a firm hold of her arm, ignoring her questioning stare as she slung the girl over her back, tucking her arms under the girl's legs, ignoring the whimper of pain.

"Hold onto me," she ordered.

"You will be handicapped," Katsuko told her.

"Don't worry so much, Katsuko," Moriko muttered. "I know for a fact Kakashi doesn't mean to bring harm to anyone on our team. I shall take this as a test of my ability to maintain my stamina!" Rin opened her mouth to argue, but with a sad frown, stayed silent. Katsuko bit her lip, knowing that Moriko was covering her true opinion up with that. The truth was Kakashi didn't care. He didn't care about Moriko's handicap or Rin's vulnerability. He would rather leave her weakened because she wasn't the healer on this mission. Katsuko was his priority medic, not Rin. Katsuko didn't like Rin, but it was a bit of a stomach-turner to realize that he would do the same to her if the situation was reversed, not that she'd ever be injured by such a weak shinobi.

"Kakashi-san, it will not even take long for Katusko-san to-" Gai began.

"We are leaving the area immediately," Kakashi interjected sharply. Gai tried to cut back, but was interrupted by his squad leader.

"Gai," Moriko said sharply. He blinked, looking at her. "Now is not the time to fight. We have a mission."

"H-hai," he said. Moriko took off without another word though the tension with the team was thickening. She knew that it was only a matter of time before they encountered some new enemy. These were a decoy… a joke really. Fighting genin was not Moriko's idea of a good time. It was completely unfair, but it had to be done every once in a while quite unfortunately. Hopefully one or two of them survived, but it wasn't within their mission's perimeters for them to stop and heal them. They didn't have the time to spare. Like Gai said the day before. It was a race.

The hours drug on and then nightfall was upon them. The rest was much-welcomed by even Moriko whose extra burden was rather tiring in truth. Rin was healed up quickly and sent to rest. Obito argued Gai and Moriko both out of guard duty and in the end, both gave in. They slept nearest to each other, Katsuko not far from them though she didn't seem too happy about it.

The rest didn't feel like much when they all got up the next morning, but they knew that the sooner they made it to Kumo, the safer they would be. The trip between Kumo and Kusa would be much quicker. They wouldn't need to sleep out in the open since the journey would probably take a significantly less amount of time. They had to push through. That was key.

The next day brought with it an intense feeling of dread for Moriko. As the hours drew on, she became more and more anxious. Still carrying Rin for their travel, she was open for attack and she knew it. She expected it. They should be attacked. The longer it took for an attack to come, the more on edge she became. It felt wrong. She wondered if Kakashi felt the same, but the others seemed to be of the mind that it was just luck. Kakashi and she had both learned first hand that luck was fantasy. Something was wrong.

Her fear was not lessened as they approached the back gate to the village. Moriko was the only one of them to have been to Kumogakure before. Not even Kakashi had stepped foot inside the village, a right allowed only to messenger ninja even between friendly villages. Moriko had for a time served as a temporary correspondence shinobi between villages right after being promoted to Special Chuunin. She therefore took the lead at the gate. They would keep Kakashi's true position as their leader and strongest player quiet for now. This village didn't know anything of Hatake Kakashi and that would be safest to keep to themselves, standard protocol really.

Moriko bowed to their shinobi escort courteously, following behind him with Gai on her right and Rin on her left. She glanced back at the others. Katsuko walked behind her with Obito at her side while Kakashi trailed behind them all, his hands in his pockets as he looked around with a lazy, bored expression, but she knew he was on high alert. He was no fool. She trusted him to ensure the success of the mission, though she would never trust Gai, Obito, Rin, or Katsuko's lives to him.

The shinobi led them, making pleasant small talk with Moriko who was posing as their Taicho all the way to the kage's main building. Kakashi lurked at the back of the group, apparently uncaring and lazy, but definitely alert. Moriko responded to the guide's questions with expertly-evasive words. The questions on the surface were quite innocent, but were truly nothing of the sort. They were searching, inquiring. She wouldn't put up with it though. She kept herself completely stoic, completely unreadable, just as she'd been the last time she was here with Morino Ibiki and Sarutobi Asuma. That had been a simple mission, deliver a message and it hadn't been nearly as important as this. She wondered how their mission was going for a brief moment before forcing herself to concentrate on her own mission. She knew that Asuma and Ibiki could handle themselves.

"No, I'm not sure I know much about the Hyuuga genius you're referring to," she said. She kept her voice soft and even. She didn't want to cut him off too harshly and come off as rude, but she didn't wish to give him anything that he might use.

"Oh, yes, because your two clans are rivals, correct? Uchiha and Hyuuga. Blood Grudges are always-"

"-difficult, but I assure you that the Uchiha and Hyuuga Clans are not so disjointed as is the general consensus among the shinobi community," she replied, coolly. She was on edge now. She had never offered her surname to anyone within the walls of this village or outside of it. She did not know how he had known of her origins. She could practically feel Obito's tenseness behind her. They both bore the symbol of the Uchiha, but it was not so well known that any random shinobi from a foreign village should recognize it. Uchiha eyes were famous, but their clan symbol was not quite so much.

The others were relatively unaffected, though Moriko trusted Katsuko and Kakashi to understand the significance of this. She brushed her left shoulder off twice briskly and felt Gai stiffen almost imperceptibly beside her. He moved a fraction of a step ahead of her as well, positioning himself partially between her and the escort. He also took in their surroundings much more adamantly now. It was their signal to be on guard for deception or betrayal. Katsuko behind her recognized it as well, but she was much more discreet in her reaction.

The shinobi glanced back at Gai, who met his eye evenly. She was relieved that he didn't present a challenge in his gaze. Sometimes it was difficult to reign in Gai's temper when his comrades were on the line. "Tell me, does the Raikage know of this sudden shift in the movements of the Rock shinobi? Has he deciphered it's meaning?"

"We have our top strategists working on it now," the jounin assured her. She nodded with a small frown. "You seem a bit young to be privy to such information even for a Konoha shinobi bearing such a gift. You can't be more than a chuunin and your team even younger," he commented.

"Gift, jounin-san?" she questioned.

"Your eyes," he replied as if it were obvious.

She gave a confused frown, faking it even behind her mask even though it wasn't entirely visible. "While I have in a few fits of vanity placed high stock on my own particular abilities and senses, I have no great claim to a spectacular ability of sight," she informed him. He deflated momentarily, but quickly disguised it. "You have heard stories of the Blood-Red Shinobi of Konoha?" she said with an amused drawl. "It is unfortunate but there are very few within the village that are truly so lucky to be gifted so and it is not a woman's place to be in possession of such a special ability."

Her voice was demure and her hands were clasped politely before her. All Uchiha Clan shinobi were trained in politics and all kunoichi were taught to use their sex to their advantage. Rarely were kunoichi actually taken seriously especially in these times. There were exceptions, Tsunade-sannin being Konoha's most famous one, but they were few and far between it seemed. The approving smile she received from the shinobi sickened her, but she only smiled politely in response. Even kunoichi of high caliber were expected to show great deference for male shinobi whatever rank they might be. That was the custom of this village at least. Konoha was much more modern, but the old customs still lingered there somewhat as well. Her clan was a prime example of that fact.

"Here we are," the shinobi said, opening the door into the familiar Kumo main building. She stepped in, waiting patiently for the man to walk ahead of her again. She pulled Rin and Gai's arms slightly so they moved behind her. She sent Gai a look, hoping he would understand that she expected him to protect the younger medic. She hated this office. Going into it once had been bad, but it being underground was extremely disconcerting for her especially with her limitations on Earth Jutsu placed by the hokage.

"Please follow me," the same jounin said. She bowed, looking around at the menacing-looking shinobi around them. They would have to find a different way out if they planned on escaping should things go downhill. She recognized more than one of these shinobi from the Konoha bingo book, high level and very dangerous.

The staircase was narrow, so much so that she was sure that they would never actually conduct business down here. It was just a place to entertain shinobi from other villages, a place where they were the at true advantage. She hated this village. It was official. Gai's fingers grazed her palm for so short a moment that it could have been mistaken for a swing of his arm, but she pretended not to notice. She couldn't answer whatever unspoken question he had for her… not now at least. She had to focus. She felt a small movement on her arm and recognized the chakra of Gai's smallest tortoise. She glanced down at the little bugger as it crawled up onto her shoulder, but it quickly disappeared beneath the folds of her robes. He expected them to get split up… she looked around, trying to see what he saw, but found no reason to indicate an attack… yet. Finally she looked to him and he nodded seriously, otherwise saying and doing nothing to indicate his expectations of a fight.

Gai had impeccable instincts and his instincts were telling him that something bad was about to happen. The signs she'd experienced so far did not indicate anything good and if they were both thinking along the same lines, it would be important to get out of here as soon as possible. She could handle that. She was not comfortable at all. Allies were not supposed to give you this feeling. It didn't feel right… in her heart.

The jounin opened a door for them and held it for the entire group to enter. This brought them face-to-face with the intimidating Yondaime Raikage. He stood upon their entrance and she was immediately dwarfed by him. She was not necessarily small in stature, tall for her age if anything, but he was a large experienced hokage and she was a small 13-year-old kunoichi. "I have met you before."

"I have served as a messenger to you before, Raikage-sama, with other shinobi of my village," she said, careful not to make eye contact. She lowered her eyes to the side as she addressed him and kept her posture respectful and submissive. "It is a great honor to be in your presence once more." She bowed and was followed by her comrades.

"Practically an ambassador huh?" he growled, eying her carefully. "You are stronger than you appear." She didn't say anything. "Where's the code?" he demanded when he realized that she wasn't going to respond to his previous statement. She didn't move for a few long moments, as Kakashi walked forward. She glanced at him. He reached into his weapons pouch, removing a scroll and handing it to her. She nodded, jerking her head as if to tell him to move back to his position. They were keeping the facade that she was in charge, couldn't risk them going straight for Kakashi if a conflict did go down. Kakashi was almost as good at these games as she. To him, almost everything seemed to come so naturally.

She walked forward boldly holding out the scroll and bowed to him. This would put off that she was completely unaware of the tenseness of the situation, that she was comfortable with what was happening even though her mind was running through a few dozen rather-unfavorable scenarios. His guards tensed but he smirked slightly, completely unaffected as he snatched the scroll, rolling it open and reading it over quickly to ensure that it was what he was expecting, a code. She stepped backwards as he read. He nodded and rolled it back up, handing it to a nasty-looking jounin over his shoulder.

"You're welcome to spend the night in the village," he said, coldly.

"We'd best be moving on. We're already behind schedule," she replied.

"Nii-chan we haven't-" Obito began to protest.

"Silence Obito. You will will not speak in the Raikage's presence," she growled roughly. "You dishonor yourself and your village baka. We will return directly to Konoha as ordered." She glared at him harshly before turning back to the kage.

The tension of the room had doubled and the Raikage's eyes were no longer on Moriko but Obito who shrunk under his cousin's words. He stared darkly at the boy, trying to read from him what he was not likely to get from his squared away cousin. This set Moriko on edge. She stepped between Obito and the Raikage directly. "I apologize for his impudence Raikage-sama. He will be punished accordingly," she told him in a reverent tone. He grunted in response.

"You are dismissed," he said, though there was something gleaming in his eyes, something she did not like.

"Arigatou," she bowed once more and led the platoon from the room, Obito's angry black eyes boring into the back of her head while Gai and Katsuko both stared at her in shock. Rin looked angry at her words, especially since she was wrong. They weren't headed straight back to Konoha. They had to go on to Kusagakure. She stayed her tongue though as well as her temper. Showing dissension before the Raikage was not advisable.

The walk out was nearly as intense as the one that took them in. It wasn't until they'd left the village through the main gate that silence was broken. "Run," Kakashi ordered sharply. Only Moriko seemed to be thinking on the same level as him as she took off like a bullet, pumping chakra to her legs with a fury that made it impossible for Rin and Obito to keep pace with her. Gai reacted quickly grabbing hold of Obito and swinging him around onto his back while Kakashi took Rin by the arm with a bruising grip and dragged her with him. Katsuko took up rear security, keeping half an eye behind them at all times as she barreled onwards.

They didn't run in a particular formation, just ran… with all the desperation of the hunted. They headed first towards Konoha, before Moriko looped up and back towards Kusa, where their comrades were headed. She led them expertly in circles and confusing pathways before finally seeking shelter. She found a discreet hollow km from any caves or obvious dwellings and immediately landed. The second her comrades' feet had touched the ground, she was gone again. Kakashi remained, setting Rin on her feet. "What the hell?" Obito demanded, jerking free of Gai's grasp. "Where the heck did she go?" He was seeing red… not literally as he didn't yet have a grasp of his kekkei genkai.

"She's setting up a perimeter," Kakashi muttered.

"What was she going on about back there? We're not supposed to be headed-" Obito's shouting was cut off by Kakashi's fist slamming into his jaw… hard. He fell to the ground stuttering. Gai moved to attack Kakashi in defense of his teammate's cousin, but Katsuko grabbed hold of his arm to stop him.

"You should not have declared your connection with Moriko, nor should you have dared contradict her in such a situation," Kakashi said in a low, dispassionate voice.

"Did you really have to hit him, Kakashi?" Rin demanded.

"He was being loud," Kakashi said coolly.

"Why does it-"

Moriko's feet landed beside Obito and she drug him up to his feet by the scruff of his neck. "Even if they don't think that I have the capabilities for the Sharingan, they might jump at the chance to take two shinobi with the physical capabilities to possess the trait. In theory, they could produce an heir with the valuable characteristic they desire," Moriko said, walking up with deadly stealth. Obito first colored at the idea of an heir with his older cousin, then his eyes widened in shock. Acquire? They were allies. Why would they want to steal a bloodline trait?

"Whether they are with us or not, that information would be restricted," Moriko muttered. "The problem is… we've been betrayed."

"I could smell the Iwa shinobi all over that place," Gai muttered. "Also, the stance of some of the shinobi were indicative of a puppet master's style of fighting, a style mostly-prevalent in Suna."

"So that's what you could see that I missed," Moriko muttered. She reached up to take hold of the small tortoise, who hardly covered half the surface area of her palm. "Good plan for in case we got split up, Gai, but I don't plan on ever letting us get separated."

"It was just a precaution," the small voice of the she-tortoise chimed in.

"Right, Ren-chan, I understood his motives alright," she said.

"How did you know?" Gai asked.

"The lack of attacks between Konoha and Kumo was the first red flag, then they didn't question us extensively at the gate. A jounin was just sitting around waiting for us. It isn't Kumogakure style at all. Last time it took two hours before we could even get a jounin to show up at the gate, another three to get into the village and then a further hour before we received an audience with the Raikage. They were far too interested in the Sharingan. Last time they kept their questioning involving my special abilities to a minimum," she said. "They should not even know about my clan. I have been a messenger for that village, but I've never fought with them. The only shinobi from foreign villages that should automatically recognize me as a sharingan user would be of Iwa or Suna."

"Kakashi?" Katsuko frowned. "You knew as well?" she assumed.

"Of course," he said, simply. He of course wouldn't go into exactly how he'd known. She should have known better than to even ask.

"We're clear to rest. Kakashi and I will take first guard," Moriko said seriously.

"Who made you-"

"Just do it," Kakashi interrupted Rin, who flamed red. It wasn't that she was embarrassed to be told off by Kakashi, but again she had disrespected Uchiha Moriko, who had spent much of her time this mission looking after Rin in particular, though Rin had offended her well beyond her understanding right at the start of the mission. No, the shame she felt was completely at herself.

Everyone did their part to set up a quick secure camp. Kakashi and Moriko sat beside the fire. Moriko was drawing in the dirt, possibly proposing a plan. Katsuko sat nearby and listened in, knowing she'd be unable to rest under the circumstances. It looked like both Rin and Obito had elected to remain awake as well. Perhaps even the dropouts could feel the strain of the situation, Katsuko mused unkindly. Gai was standing above them, looking out at the sky. He wasn't even resting, too on edge.

Katsuko still couldn't make out Kakashi and Moriko's heated whispers, but they were quickly rising in volume and suddenly Moriko rose to her feet, anger emanating from her every pore, the kunai she'd been using to draw in the dirt thrown down hard from her fist, leaving a small crater in the ground where it hit. "I will not leave our comrades to die," she proclaimed. "That is not my way of the ninja!"

"We were given our mission Moriko. It is simple. We will complete that mission," Kakashi said, coldly.

"It's simple is it?" she growled. "What is simple is the ultimatum you are about to receive. I am going to Kusagakure to attempt to intercept White Platoon because otherwise they will be slaughtered," she roared, completely giving away their position to anyone who cared to be tracking them.

Kakashi was on his feet in a second. He had taken hold of her, jumping and slamming her back against a tree. Gai caught hold of his arm the second he stopped and twisted hard, throwing him with brute strength away from Moriko and lunging at him with a heavy fist. Kakashi jumped underneath it and delivered a hard kick to Gai's stomach, but Gai was fast, as fast as Kakashi which was something he was not used to. He underestimated Gai, which was what allowed Gai to land a hard punch to Kakashi's cheek with a nasty crack, likely delivering at least a hair-line fracture to the masked shinobi. Before he had a chance to recover and start forming hand signs Katsuko performed one of her own, shadow-like tentacles spreading from the ground, reaching out and taking hold of all of the shinobi in the area, including Obito and Rin who were currently staying out of it.

"That is enough," she said coolly, straightening. The others took on the same posture she had.

"I am captain of this team," Kakashi said. "Any of you who proceed to Kusagakure will be listed as rogue nin as soon as I set foot on Konoha soil."

"And yet I will return to my village with my honor," she said.

"It is your honor as a shinobi that you will lose," he growled.

"Perhaps in your opinion but in mine my duty is to ensure the safety of those I serve with, those I serve for. I will not leave White Platoon to die," she growled.

"You will be precluded from jounin selection for the rest of your career," Kakashi pointed out.

"Perhaps, but I will be able to live with myself," she said.

"But they're Hyuuga. Aren't Uchiha supposed to hate Hyuuga?" Rin asked, looking to Obito, who shook his head.

"Rin, Obito," he said sharply. Katsuko allowed her jutsu to release the two of them. Rin walked forward hesitantly. Obito simply crossed his arms. Kakashi stared at him for a few long seconds, before nodding, glancing at Katsuko then Gai. Gai gave him a ferocious look in response, obviously indicating that he would not go with them. Katsuko looked at Moriko, then at Kakashi.

"You would really put your entire career on the line for them?" he questioned. Katsuko looked at Gai and then looked long and hard at Moriko.

"A part of me is sorry, Moriko-chan," Katsuko said softly.

"I can perform your medical jutsu," was all Moriko said, turning away and refusing to look at her again.

"Better than I can most likely," Katsuko grumbled, walking to Kakashi's side.

"Obito, go back," Moriko said, seriously.

"Demo… Niichan-"

"I will not send my teammate back with only Kakashi and Rin to protect her. She is my responsibility and I take that seriously. I beg of you to do this," Moriko said, turning fully to face him and walking towards him

"I can protect myself," Katsuko objected with a growl, but Moriko pretended like she didn't even exist. Gai glowered at her with everything he had.

"I know that you wish to prove yourself Obito, but I will not risk losing Katsuko," she whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You must do this for me," she said.

"Never give up," she said, holding her hand up between them.

"Never back down," he replied softly, reaching up and clasping her hand in a strong grip.

"Never show weakness," she whispered.

"Never show fear," he finished.

"You come back, Moriko-niichan," he ordered.

"Where else would I go?" Moriko asked, smiling. He took a step back, turning towards the other three. By the time he reached them and turned around Gai and Moriko were gone, both taking off towards Kusagakure. Rin screeched, batting off a creature on her shoulder. Katsuko stepped forward swiftly, snatching the small creature. It was Gai's tortoise, Ren-chan.

"I've been summoned again already, Katsuko-san?" Ren asked, blinking up at Katsuko.

"Yes," Katsuko replied.

"I shall travel with you then, rather than the squirrelly one?" Ren asked.

"If you wish," Katsuko conceded. Ren crawled up her arm, settling in the folds of her chuunin jacket.

"Gai's… for safety," Katsuko said.

"That little thing?" Rin asked, amazed.

"You should not judge things by their size, before you see them in action," was all Katsuko said. "What is the route?" she asked, looking at Kakashi.

Moriko and Gai were headed in the other direction, with much greater speed than the others. "Moriko-san," Gai said. "Why did you send Obito back? You know he would have been useful and Katsuko would have faired fine with Kakashi and Rin."

"He is my cousin and I care deeply for him. However, I do not think he is strong enough for what we may encounter, Gai-kun," she whispered.

"What do you expect will be ahead of us?" Gai asked.

"If Kumo has turned on us and our attachments to Kusa have been severed in the same time frame, I expect difficulties from both sides," she admitted.

"You think we will survive?"

"I will die before they truly harm you," she responded, grabbing a branch with her foot and stopping dead. Gai stopped on the same branch, turning to her. She looked around slowly. "Gai, if it comes down to it, we will use that technique," she said. He stared at her somberly.

"I thought you were forbidden those techniques."

"It is a trick I picked up, but the technique itself is ours. You will be ready wont you?" she questioned, seriously.

"I will," he nodded, sharply.

"Let's find White Platoon." He nodded in response, following her closely. They met minimal resistance along the way, avoiding what they could. When they reached Kusagakure they could see pillars of smoke rising from the village. She held a hand to stop her comrade, who took in the village intently, listening closely to the happenings.

"It is a new disturbance," he said. She closed her eyes, opening them a blood read and sending out a pulse. She felt a familiar chakra and immediately concealed her own. Gai had already done so apparently. "We go in and we get the hell out Gai, got it? Top speeds and we stop only when we see one of them."

They took off, rushing through the village at speeds too fast to be detected by the human eye. Her red eyes drew her to the source of the familiar chakra and what she saw nearly stopped her blood cold in her veins. She landed by Matsu's side, Gai immediately taking up guard behind her. They took in the area quickly. Not far off three Konoha shinobi were locked in a fierce battle with about half a dozen Iwa shinobi. Apparently Kusa had been overrun. Kura turned to fight as soon as she felt Gai and Moriko, but her shoulders drooped in relief as she saw who it was.

"Katsuko-chan, where is she?" Kura asked immediately, her hands covered in Matsu's blood, tears in her eyes.

"Headed to Konoha," was the dark response she received from Gai. Moriko shook her head, her hands lighting a brilliant green as she set to dealing with Matsu's wounds.

"You two need to buy me ten completely uninterrupted minutes," she instructed. "I will be able to get him on his feet and moving. He has enough of his own chakra to bounce back quickly. I need that time though, nothing less."

"Hai, Moriko-taicho," Gai said, nodding to Kura, who returned it with a serious gaze, her byakuugan in full activation, veins crawling along the sides of her face, making her look extremely intimidating despite her obvious fear.

"They've been fighting them back, but just as you showed up, the others got drawn away," Kura said. "They're coming in waves. Any minute now…"

Gai thought quickly, before drawing his hand across his teeth, drawing blood, and slamming his hand on the ground. There were three large poofs of smoke and suddenly they were surrounded by three medium-sized tortoises, all decked out in full battle gear.

"Gai-kun, what do you have?" one asked, turning his head.

"We are greatly outnumbered in Kusagakure Katsu-san, surrounded by an unknown number of powerful Iwa shinobi. The Iwa specialize in a wide range of jutsu, mainly earth however, but their strongest shinobi are skilled in many different varieties, their hokage being proficient in the handling of all the elements and being well known for his ruthlessness," he spoke quickly, hardly breaking to breathe.

"Sounds like a worthy battle, Gai-kun. We are honored by your summoning," the same tortoise said, turning his head back around.

"Yosh! Let us bring glory to ourselves and to Konoha!" Gai shouted, jumping up onto Katsu's back, scanning quickly.

"What do I…?" Kura trailed off, her blood-soaked hands still shaking.

"You use those eyes, Kura-san. If anything gets close to us, you kill it because you are strong and you are a shinobi of Konoha understood? Shinobi of Konoha do not give up. Show them your will of fire!" Moriko said, her eyes closed tightly, sweat beading down her forehead.

"Hai, Moriko-senpai!" Kura said, whipping out her matching curved swords, taking a defensive position, pushing her eyes to their full limits, turning her head slightly periodically to make up for her weak spot.

"Where is Hyuuga-sensei?" she asked. Kura glanced at her, amazed she could speak while performing that jutsu. Any healer under Jounin level she'd ever met struggled with it enough without putting their mind on another thing. Uchiha were so strange.

"He is fighting with two jounin or chuunin level platoons south of here," she said. "He is doing well, but his stamina is waning. He is only one man."

They had begun coming, and in moments they were surrounded by fire, most coming from Gai's powerful jutsu, but some from his familiars. He took out one after another, leaving Kura stunned. Moriko and Katsuko had not been exaggerating about his superior abilities. She was in shock. She felt bad for thinking so badly of him before because despite how silly he seemed, the boy was a genius, a taijutsu master in the making, wreathed in a perpetual ball of flame that destroyed everything it touched.

Kura swung her blades taking out the first two to break through. They were barely kids, had to be genin. Her heart broke as she watched them fall, throats cut expertly by her blade, choking on their own blood the last few moments of their lives. "Stay strong, Kura. I can feel your chakra waver with your emotions. You are fighting for Matsu, for Hizashi-sensei, for Konoha. Remember that," Moriko's voice soothed her aching chest moderately.

The minutes ticked off and the shinobi kept coming. Gai was getting worn down. He was using too much chakra too quickly. Suddenly Raidou was there, fighting alongside Gai, and then no shinobi were breaking their ranks. Moriko completed healing Matsu and pulled her hands back, placing two fingers to his forehead and sending a jolt of chakra through him. He jerked into awareness, grabbing for his knife, but Moriko's hand closed down over his in case he wasn't completely in his own mind.

"I thought I was done for," he muttered. Moriko's hand eased off of his, seeing he was coherent enough to handle himself.

"Not yet," Moriko replied. Kura held a hand down to him, which he took, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet, his eyes caught momentarily on her bloodied hand.

"Kura, go to Raidou. You three get out and report back to Konoha. They will need to know what is happening here," she said.

"What about…?"

"We will take care of Team 9 and your sensei," she said. "You need to get the word back to Konoha. We will catch up if we can."

"Hai," Kura said. She jumped up into the air, and in a few moments Raidou had landed and nodded to Moriko and Gai. Team 1 was gone a moment later. Moriko jumped up onto the back of the grey shinobi tortoise Itado who hardly even acknowledged her presence.

"Give me fire, Itado-san," she said, jumping towards the top of his shell. He drew back, spitting out a large wave of Fire and she accented it with a large dose of a simple air jutsu which sent three shinobi nearby flying, flames exploding mere feet from them. "Gai! You got these handled?" she called.

"Hai Taicho! A youthful victory is upon us!" he shouted back.

"YOSH!" the female warrior tortoise cried, drawing a laugh from both Moriko and Gai.

Moriko danced her way through their line, a well-aimed kick here, a quick fire jutsu there and she was on her way to the next closest battle. "Hayate!" she shouted.

"Hai!" he called in response, not losing focus from the shinobi he was fighting.

"2 Alpha Delta!" she sent his way, the mission code to abort and fall back.

"Wilco," he muttered more to himself than anything. "9 on me!" he shouted. Yugao and Genma complied after a moment and they were off, Moriko covering their retreat with a nasty giant fireball that mowed straight through the shinobi they'd been fighting. She made her way back to Gai to see he'd been hit, but was still fighting. She grabbed hold of him, pulling him out of the fray.

"Can you hold them off for a few minutes and then get the hell out of here, Katsu-sama?" she asked the three proud shinobi tortoises.

"You got it Moriko-san!" Katsu replied. This was followed by boisterous consent from the other two.

"Come on Gai. We have one more comrade left to get out of here," she said. He nodded, following her and holding pressure to his side which was bleeding profusely.

Hizashi saw them coming of course and timed his attacks perfectly, allowing them to break through the stunned combatants and to come within his range of protection.

"Teams One and Nine have been evacuated, taicho! The main front is being held off by three of Gai's Summonings, but the situation could change at any moment. This is our window, sir," she said swiftly.

"Where is your platoon Uchiha?" he demanded sharply.

"They fell back. Gai and I came alone," she said.

"Stand back and stay low," he ordered. They both moved behind him and he sent off a shock wave that burst so powerfully forth from his body that it demolished the earth between him and his helpless victims. Apparently Iwa kept most of their high-level jounin on the borders as well… lucky for them, because jounin and even certain special jounin would have been able to avoid that and stay after them. Hizashi turned without a word, taking the front of the formation. Moriko took up the rear. She had faster reflexes than Gai and better feel for chakra signatures if the attack was to come from behind which was the most likely direction for them to be hit from. Combined with his injury, she was the most logical choice.

Hizashi did not slow, did not let up. He was a jounin and he could run for days at a time. They overtook both the other teams, who joined wordlessly in the formation, following hand signals from the jounin in the lead as to where to place themselves. Kura took over the front position which allowed Hizashi to take up the now-more dangerous rear security. Kura settled into a more manageable pace, but one that was barely slower. By the time they were finished, Gai was carrying the injured Matsu despite his own wounds and Hayate had been forced to catch the chakra-depleted Yugao from the air as she'd been too stubborn to admit that she had no strength yet. They had gone on though and it was a damn good thing because those shinobi were not going to stop pursuing until the crossed the border.

When they did, some of the less experienced shinobi imagined they may stop, but Kura knew her captain better than that. They were picked up by two ANBU guards who had taken their injured shinobi from the tired arms of their bearers, positioning themselves on the flanks after a glance to their jounin commander in the rear who confirmed.

When they finally reached the village they nearly all collapsed inside the gate. Moriko and Gai even were on their knees, in pain from the chakra depletion and exhausted from their exertions during the battle. The healing jutsu had nearly drained Moriko as it wasn't one she had trained without her sharingan much.

Moriko was stubborn though. She immediately crawled to Gai's side, raising her hands to heal his side. She pushed as much green chakra into healing the wound as she could before she collapsed into her comrade, not unconscious, but unable to move. Gai fell back onto his rear, cradling her in his grasp. He looked up as he saw a pair of sandals stopped before him. He followed the feet, up to a body, up to a neck, finally alighting on the shinobi's face. "Minato-sensei," he said.

"You did very well, Gai-kun. You can rest now," he said. Gai watched blearily as the other shinobi knelt before him and attempted to take Moriko from him, but he tightened his grasp on her. Slowly, with much difficulty, he forced one foot under himself and with much of his energy, drew himself to a standing position, Moriko cradled unsteadily in his grasp. He stumbled slightly, but the hand that caught his shoulder was not Minato's. It was Kura. She gave him a tired smile, tears of gratitude shining in her lavender eyes. He nodded to her, barely a jerk of his head. Raidou placed his hand on Gai's other shoulder, nodding to him

Wiith Kura on one side of Gai and Raidou taking up the other, they made their way towards the hospital. The two flanking him all shoulder to shoulder, supporting him to keep him from going off-balance. Minato watched them go, feeling a wave of disappointment in his own team. Kakashi had done his duty, but he still did not understand the difference between doing ones duty and doing what was right.

Minato helped Genma to his feet, receiving a grateful and tired half-smile, then sent a sharp nod to Hayate who was leaning heavily on the wall just inside the city, still regaining his bearings. Minato had already been present for the briefing regarding Kumo, but it appeared Hyuuga's platoon had run into a much worse situation in Kusa. He bowed his head. This war only continued to grow and he wasn't sure how much their youngest shinobi could take. They were already growing up too fast. He was astonished that there were no casualties from this hell of a mission. He'd seen jounin platoons decimated in much more favorable circumstances, but he wouldn't count his chickens before they hatched because there were two in the hospital after all and most of the others would likely follow.

Minato disappeared in a flash. He was required back in his uniform and at the hokage's side. He had been sent to ensure that they required no assistance at the gate and apparently the next generation was as stubborn as his because they had not only not required it, but they'd refused it. He looked down sadly again, wondering how else he could teach Kakashi to be a better comrade even if it meant being less of a shinobi in Kakashi's eyes.

This chapter is a bit shorter, but I hope you liked it. Thanks for your time and your input.


	4. Chapter 4

A Tale of Love and Loss

Maito Gai/Original Character

Disclaimer: The fandom is Naruto and it of course does not belong to me along with many of the characters portrayed. I will do my best to remain true to the characters.

Chapter: In Which Moriko Deals With Consequences and Gai Eavesdrops

Moriko awoke in the dark room, her hands and feet bound. The first thing she took in was the distance between herself and her weaponry, using her senses to push outward and get a grasp of the size and shape of the room, careful not to tense or give any indication she was awake. It was painful but she remained physically relaxed. She steadied her breathing and counted time of the breaths from the person beside her, who had a hold of her. She frowned, breathing in a deep slow breath before truly relaxing. It was Gai. She could smell his unique scent, feel his unique chakra. She opened her eyes and pulled a bit at her restraints, turning her head slightly to look at the dark-haired boy in the darkness.

She felt his hand around her forearm and tried to decide whether or not to wake him. It would be more comfortable if she weren't tied to the bed, but from the slight snore that accompanied his breathing he was sleeping well. He only snored when he was completely relaxed which didn't occur on missions, otherwise she'd have had to smother him many missions before. He'd done so well on this mission. She was very proud of him. He deserved his rest even if her current position made it impossible for her to return to sleep.

Moriko's eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness and she saw that he was perched on the edge of the chair, his torso splayed out next to hers on the bed, his hand grasping her arm with the grip of a shinobi even in his sleep. He was strange, young Maito Gai, but he'd proven to not just her but all the shinobi on that mission just how strong he really was. She smiled because they still hadn't seen all that he had in him. That was something only she knew and she felt good to be the one to hold that knowledge.

The Uchiha girl looked to the door, when she felt a chakra-presence reveal itself and her sensei stepped forward to show himself visibly as well. He looked at her somberly, a look that caused her to tense immediately, ready for one hell of a scolding. "Moriko, you broke all protocol, led your most impressionable teammate into a situation that from the outside seemed to be certain death for any genin," he said quietly. She shifted under his harsh stare, turning her dark eyes to stare at the ceiling. "And yet, it is not you that I am disappointed in, Moriko," he added. "Gai is not just any genin and you acted as a true shinobi should. "Never give up, never back down…"

"… never show weakness, never show fear," she said, her voice hardly a rasp in the darkness. She continued to stare at the ceiling, letting the words of their clan sink into her heart. She believed in them down to her very spirit.

"You have brought honor to me in my absence Moriko-chan," he said. He walked across the room to the nightstand beside her. Gai jerked away at the first footstep, looking around quickly, kunai in his hand in the blink of an eye. His hand releasing Moriko's hand only to grab onto her shoulder as he turned, ensuring that she was in a position he could defend.

"Kouichi-sensei!" he exclaimed, rising swiftly and straightening to stand at attention.

"Maito Gai, under the power given unto me by the Village of Konoha, at the order of Sandaime Hokage, and at the recommendation of Special Chuunin Uchiha Moriko, I hereby offer you the rank of Chuunin of Konoha. Do you understand and accept the responsibility that I have placed before you?" he asked.

"H-hai, Kouichi-sensei," he said, the kunai falling from his grasp. He immediately ducked down to grab it, face flaming red.

"You need not call me sensei any longer. I am no longer your Taicho. You have been reassigned," he said, watching both the young shinobi's smiles fade to forlorn expressions. He stepped forward, releasing her binds.

"Try not to break any more nurse's jaws," he said dryly. She nodded, sitting up and turning to place her feet on the ground. She was a fitful sleeper, especially after a bout of chakra-depletion. It was why she'd been unsurprised when she'd awoken to find herself bound.

"Where have I been assigned Kouichi-senpai?" Gai asked without hesitation

"Your reassignment as been to a new team: Team Moriko," he said. "Uchiha Moriko you are to receive command of a chuunin team. Do you understand and accept the responsibility I have placed before you?" he spoke the same words again, an old formality for most shinobi of the village, but one that an Uchiha took seriously. No one should be given a position of power or influence without acknowledging what would be expected of them.

"Hai, Senpai. I understand and I accept," she replied, lifting her head to meet his eyes. "Katsuk-"

"She has been reassigned," was all Kouichi said.

"To who?" Gai pressed.

"She will be working at the hospital from now on," was all he said. Even Gai, who didn't have a clue knew what he really meant by removing her from their team: "I will not have a shinobi who I have taught abandon her comrades working in the field. It brings shame to me and to her team." Moriko, Tai, and Katsuko had been given a clear understanding of their sensei's idea of a true shinobi on day one and had been expected to adhere to all of those criteria at all times from that moment on, knowing full well that a breach would result in Kouichi doing absolutely everything he could to put the breaks on opportunities within the village.

"What new youthful comrades will be assigned to our team, Katsuko-sensei!?" Gai called, excitedly, already donning the green jacket he had worked so hard to earn.

"I do not have that information, Gai," Kouichi replied, looking at the excited shinobi.

"Looks good on you, Gai-kun," Moriko said softly.

"The hokage wishes to debrief you immediately Moriko," Kouichi said, seriously. "Can you stand?"

"I believe so, Kouichi-senpai," she murmured finding it strange to not call him sensei. She straightened into a full sitting position with great difficulty. She looked down at her feet, wiggling her toes experimentally. She looked to the nightstand, noting her full shinobi uniform, which was good because she couldn't just wear her hospital gown before the hokage.

She raised herself to her feet, teetering slightly, but Gai caught hold of the hand she held out to balance herself, gripping steadily. She used him to ground herself then slowly lowered his hand before releasing it. She took stock of her own body from top to bottom as if she were some sort of machine, checking each circuit before making the determination whether or not it would work if she flipped on the switch.

"I am working at about 17 percent my full chakra capacity, Kouichi-sensei. That will be sufficient to reasonably present myself before Hokage-sama for up to forty-nine minutes and 37 seconds, more than enough time to convey the necessary information and receive any further instructions should the hokage have them for me," she said, seriously.

"You have five minutes to be at his assistant's desk. Gai will carry you," Kouichi said, his voice authoritative. He had never given a wishy-washy command. He spoke with authority and he meant every word. She did not want to even think about what he'd do if she were not in that office, standing tall in five minutes. Gai was out of the room in a quick burst of air while Kouichi teleported out in a showy fashion. She quickly changed her clothes, making Superman look like a 5-year-old ninny.

Moriko stepped out the door and Gai already had a hold of her. They made it to where she was supposed to be in three minutes, Gai still holding Moriko's arm over his shoulders. "My Taicho, Special Chuunin Commander Uchiha Moriko reports to Sandaime Hokage's assistant as ordered!" he said swiftly, holding out a thumbs up. The assistant, a kunoichi a few years their senior raised a perfectly-plucked eyebrow, looking up at the tall boy in the strange clothes.

"The hokage should be expecting us Aiko-san," Moriko said politely.

"Only you, Moriko-san, not the… green one," Aiko responded somewhat disdainfully.

"Maito Gai, a hard-working and formidable chuunin who rescued an entire platoon our last mission," Moriko corrected in a rough, restrained voice. She was in a lot of pain. Gai looked down at her, the hand holding her hand over his shoulder gripped it a bit tighter in response. She looked up as the door opened and an ANBU stood waiting.

"Uchiha Moriko," he said simply.

"Hai, ANBU-san," she replied, pulling her hand back from Gai and straightening her back, placing her hands at her sides.

"The hokage will see you now," he said.

Gai watched her leave anxiously, frowning and watching the ANBU closely as she passed within a foot of him, slipping into the room beyond. The ANBU stared back at him, but Gai only narrowed his eyes further, glancing at Aiko, the hokage's secretary before turning and walking to the chairs, seating himself awkwardly on the edge. Needing to be ready at a moment's notice in case Moriko needed him.

Moriko ran her hands down the blue spandex of her sleeves, adjusting the zipper of her chuunin jacket only slightly, and pulling her hair back from her face in a tight ponytail all in the span of seconds. Back in her everyday shinobi garb, she felt stripped of that strength afforded by her father's old uniform. Still, she would not go before the hokage looking a mess. She looked around as she entered the office, waiting patiently for the ANBU to open the next door to the Hokage's second room. Obviously that was where they were headed if the hokage was not present here.

Moriko noted the blonde hair visible behind the mask, a mask she'd seen before. She knew the man behind it, but said nothing to him because when one bore the mask of an ANBU, they were no longer the person of their everyday shinobi life and their identities were kept completely secret.

She was waved forward as the door was opened. Her feet were planted firmly with each step, overcompensating for her weakened body and low chakra storage. She kept her eyes sharp, taking in each shinobi, their stance, their intent, their very breath. She wasn't going to be caught off-guard. Her senses were still on high from the surprise they'd received in Kumo. She felt… betrayed and that betrayal was translated into a fear that none could be trusted, because really could they?

She was sure that she'd feel better with Kouichi, Katsuko or Gai with her. It wasn't unusual for her to report on a mission on her own as the captain of Kouichi's team in his absence, but after that hellish mission, she was feeling rather paranoid. She glanced back at the door before scolding herself for her moment of weakness. She raised her head, moving to stand before the hokage, who was hidden behind a curtain. She knelt before it, careful to lower herself to her knees rather than to fall, bowing her head nearly to the ground.

"You may all leave," the hokage's voice commanded from behind the curtain. The jounin looked at each other, all hesitant to do so, but one by one they obeyed, save one who closed the door and performed a jutsu to soundproof the room. She kept her eyes on the ground, though she carefully tracked the chakra of the other two in the room. The ANBU walked up behind her and she allowed him to pass. He moved to open the curtain and she was soon face-to-face with the hokage, a very grave-looking hokage.

Moriko looked up at him for only a moment before lowering her eyes once more. She knew what she'd done was right. He knew what she'd done was right, but he would scold her. She waited for it, her every breath feeling like it was bringing her closer to suffocating. She calmed herself with a slight meditation. She didn't wish to upset the hokage, but he would not make her doubt herself.

"You disobeyed a direct-line leader Uchiha Moriko, dragging your least experienced teammate into a dangerous situation," he said, before taking a long drag off his pipe. She nodded, electing to remain silent under the circumstances. His words echoed Kouichi-sensei's pretty well. She knew what she'd done and she'd sure as hell do it again. "Have you nothing to say for yourself?"

"I see no shame in what I have done, hokage-sama. I was following my way of the ninja. I will make no excuses for that," she told him, straightforward and respectful.

"Very well," he said. "I am glad to hear it. You will be leading a seven-man platoon from now on. You will be receiving missions of a higher caliber than you generally undertake. Are you prepared for that responsibility?" he asked. She didn't respond right away, sputtering a few moments at that. Twice in one day? Twice she would get away with not being berated for doing precisely what she should not have done?

There was another fact that was more sobering, more shocking as well. "I apologize for my surprise sir, but was informed that I was to be given a team, not an entire platoon," she said. "Why not Kakashi?" she asked. "He is younger but he is also a very strong shinobi, the best chuunin in this village by far."

"He must remain with his jounin sensei a while longer. Yours is of firm belief that you are beyond the necessity of his guidance now," he said. "Do you feel you have not been properly prepared for the task?

"I am prepared," she replied quickly in response, carefully keeping her gaze from his.

"Very well," he said, nodding to the ANBU who turned to her, holding out a scroll.

"You will read and destroy this scroll before setting foot outside of this room," the ANBU said, his voice strong and absolute, leaving no room for argument. It reminded her of her own sensei actually.

"Hai," she said, reaching up and taking the scroll. The ANBU escorted the hokage from the room and she looked down at the scroll resting on her thighs. She unrolled it slowly once the door closed behind him. She was given a simple list of names followed by a broad outline of responsibilities. She swallowed hard, setting it down. They were a main component of a new offensive by Konoha. It would be hinged on them.

Moriko steeled herself for the task. Always the taught and never the teacher… Her brother Tai had always been the leader among them. After he'd gone down, it had fallen to her, but she'd never felt she deserved it. She'd been a shadow of Uchiha Tai, stumbling around in his shoes which were always too big for her to fill. That was about to change. She was acknowledged as a leader now, a Chuunin Captain. She closed her eyes tightly, rolling the scroll back up and feeling it burn to cinders in her hands after a whispered jutsu.

After taking a moment to collect herself and the ashes, she dragged herself to her feet, feeling even more tired than usual, feeling… old even. Her feet led her to Gai who led her home, the entire walk silent. Uchiha turned and looked her way as she passed, accusing eyes and shaking heads following her, but she didn't care what they thought about her performance on the last mission. Obito would have told everyone of course. He could never keep his mouth shut. One or two nodded respectfully, proud of how she'd acted. That would not be the majority consensus however. That she knew for a fact. She was a female though, soft in their eyes. It would only be natural for a female to allow her judgement to be obscured by emotions, by connections.

"For a Hyuuga," she heard whispered as she neared her home, but she placed a hand on Gai's arm to ensure he would not make a move towards them. They were proud and arrogant. It was not her job to correct them, a female Uchiha in the lowest ring of the clan, an outlier. They approached her family home and she opened the door, allowing Gai to enter ahead of her. They removed their shoes in the small entrance room.

The bare, spartan style of the home was much like the shinobi she was, and she would say as much if questioned because she was much too proud to admit that she simply did not have the money to maintain the place. Her uncle had sold most of her furnishings and non-essentials when she'd been very young in order for her to have the money to support herself until she was able to begin working as a shinobi.

She felt Gai's hand under her elbow, supporting her until they reached the table in the kitchen. She relaxed into the rickety chair, watching musingly as Gai began to whip something up from whatever meager offerings he could find in the cupboards and fridge. She was too tired to argue with him even though she wasn't hungry at all.

Finally, when he'd finished making what appeared to be a sad excuse for ramen, he placed a bowl before her and one at the chair beside her, sitting down. "Was it so bad?"

"What?" she asked, looking up as he broke the silence.

"The hokage, was he harsh with you?" he asked. She shook her head slowly. "Then why…?"

"I have been given command of a platoon, a high-level platoon, Gai-kun," she told him.

A smile broke out on his face. "That is a very good thing!" he exclaimed. "There is no Special Chuunin in the village more deserving than you."

"I am unsure, Gai-kun," she said, pushing her sticks around the bowl, the noodles swirling in the rather plain broth. "I have never served without Katsu-chan by my side," she said, a frown on her face.

"You are wrong. I know you've served numerous times with Ibiki or Kakashi. You've led missions without her before," Gai said seriously.

"That's not the same," she said. "One mission without her to ten with… This is an assignment without Katsu-chan." There was fear in her voice, her eyes watering slightly.

"I will defend you with everything I have," he swore.

"That is not the issue Gai-kun," she said, giving him a fond smile. He was always so eager to show how much she meant to him. She wondered if he'd ever really thought about how much he meant to her. That thought darkened her mood further, but she tried to bury it further inside, along with all the other things in her world that just didn't fit right yet. He frowned for a long moment as if trying to figure it out, but before he could ask further, she raised her hand.

"You are perfectly correct Gai-kun! This is the opportunity we have fought so hard to get and we cannot fail or falter. We will be the greatest chuunin platoon this village has ever seen! That is a promise!" she said with a wink.

"YOSH!" he cried with a bright, sparkling grin.

"We must make plans to gather as a platoon very soon. Raidou, Genma, Matsu, Kura, and Ichiro are our new comrades. We will welcome them, beginning with a training session, full Team Four Style," she told him.

"Hai," he nodded. "I cannot wait to get to know five new comrades!"

"Team leaders will be Raidou and yourself. Raidou is the highest ranking chuunin after myself and I trust you with my life. Raidou will take the lead on first team: Genma and Ichiro while you will take the lead of Kura and Matsu. They work well together, no use trying to fix what is not broken," she said, pausing to give him a few moments to process.

"Raidou: superior weapon abilities as well as a master of strategy and trained in all basic Konoha jutsu. Though Raidou has been teamed with Kura and Matsu, he trains with Genma who has complimentary fighting strategies to Raidou as well as an affinity for taijutsu and genjutsu techniques. Ichiro is a strong summoner and good with taijutsu and basic ninjutsu. The first team is strategically sound," he nodded after a few moments of thought. "The second has a weakness," he said. She nodded in agreement, watching as he worked through her logic.

"There are no shinobi in my squad with knowledge of anything over low-level genjutsu," he said. He seemed to be unable to grasp what her plan was with the second squad. She stared, waiting, but he could not seem to reach an understanding.

"Hyuuga are well known for their ability to pick up genjutsu techniques. Being able to take in their whole surroundings and quickly identify their enemies weak points makes it easier for them to find an opening for an unnoticed genjutsu as well. She will learn," Moriko said, completely certain.

"Tracker?" she asked, testing his own strategic abilities though she'd already made the plans in her own mind.

"Raidou-san," he replied swiftly.

"Messenger?" she continued.

"Myself," he said.

"And if we need your taijutsu and ninjutsu skills in a situation…?"

"Kura-san," he said.

"Why?"

"Her eyes can see for more miles ahead than many of her clan though she does not have the full degree range of most Byakuugan users. Additionally, she showed just how fast she is on our last mission. She almost maintained Hizashi's brutal speed back to Konoha," Gai replied. She nodded, taking a bite of her ramen and swallowing it down painfully. It was terrible. She should have known better than to trust his cooking. She forced herself to continue eating though. Her body was tired, low on chakra, and it could use the carbs to sustain itself.

"You are going to rest this night?" he asked, before proceeding slurp noisily on his noodles.

"Yes," she nodded. "I will meet you at 0600 at training ground 4," she told him. He nodded, slurping down the rest of his noodles and breezing out of the room. She stared across her at the empty chair, unable to do much else besides sit and stare. She ceased her weak attempt to continue eating as even the energy to raise the noodles to her mouth was quickly becoming taxing. She drew herself to her feet with a concentrated push of effort. Her tired, aching muscles carried her across the room and into the bedroom. She didn't take the energy to slide the door closed behind her, choosing instead to collapse upon her futon, sleep finding her immediately.

"Faster Kura! My hits are outside .43 seconds apart. No Hyuuga is that slow. DEFEND YOURSELF!" Moriko snapped at the younger girl, not letting up, her fists going at her faster and faster. The girl fought to keep up defending against her new platoon leader.

Moriko's every taijutsu targeted her weak points, not one coming from an easy-to-defend angle. She was constantly moving around Kura, moving into her Byakuugan's weak spots. Moriko was as quick as any jounin Kura had ever trained for and twice as tough on her. Not even her own clan sensei was this unforgiving. Kura took a nasty kick to the right side of her neck, flying back towards another pair's spar. Raidou stepped aside, while Genma jumped forward catching her quickly. He set her on the ground. She was unconscious.

"Matsu!" Moriko said sharply, her eyes on the ground, breaths coming hard. She then turned around, not looking back at Kura. "Hospital," she said, raising her eyes to meet Matsu's sparring partner. Ichiro narrowed his eyes at her, taking a stance. Matsu took Kura from the ground, disappearing.

"Gai, you are now facing Raidou," Moriko said, sharply, not looking at the others as she kept her eyes trained on Ichiro, with a glance to Genma. She would face them both "Begin!"

So their training went, day after grueling day, week after grueling week. No breaks, no rest. For three straight hours they would fight, and another three was spent working on personal techniques or helping to train each other. Moriko had been given only one month to ensure her team was combat ready and she obviously took that very seriously. Those that had served with her already, specifically those involved in the last mission kept their complaints to themselves, but Ichiro had a difficult time understanding why they spent so much of their time training especially in the manner they trained.

Kura and Matsu were certain that they would not be alive were it not for Moriko so they were always quick to defend her now if any complaint were to arise, but that didn't mean that Ichiro did not badmouth his new platoon leader to others in their ranking. His complaints fell upon sympathetic ears with many, but most of their generation had been on the disastrous Kusa-Kumo mission and he obviously couldn't find any care from them. Their team had been formed on that strength, formed around Gai and Moriko who had been the ones to throw themselves into what should have amounted to a suicide mission behind enemy lines to rescue white platoon in the overtaken Kusa. The Iwa shinobi could not have been held at bay forever and not even Hyuuga Hizashi could defeat an entire village as impressive a shinobi as he was.

As they finished up their third week of training, they were all exhausted, Gai excluded. His stamina had far surpassed even that of their platoon leader. They sat in a circle: some relaxing, a few others meditating. The sun was going down to the west and as the sweat cooled and the sky darkened, her teammates became impatient. Moriko finally brought herself back around, standing slowly. "You've all done well," she said. "You've improved and learned to compliment each other. I must thank you now for your dedication and hard work. If you have no other pressing matters, I would ask you join me for dinner. It will be my treat."

"Score," Genma exclaimed. "It's about time we got something out of this Mori-taicho," he said. She smiled genuinely, hardly blinking at the use of her shortened name. "I don't know if you know this but you can be unbearable."

"I've heard," she said, casting a slight glance towards Ichiro, though he was paying no mind. She had grown too much, seen too much, to care about the opinions of an irritated lower-ranking shinobi. She was in charge and if it came down to it, he would fall in line. She knew that he was a good strategical thinker. He just didn't have the patience and tenacity required to deal with Gai or Moriko. It was nothing new, much like Katsuko towards the end of their time together, well for most of their time together if she were honest. Moriko closed her eyes, wishing that thought had not come to her thoughts.

Moriko was the first to turn from the training grounds, her hands finding the pockets of her pants as she went. Kura jogged up next to her, walking in companionable silence with their platoon leader while the others followed in suit. Ichiro had nearly left, but with a nasty look from Raidou he thought twice about that. It was rude to not accept what was offered to you and to insult the platoon leader was to insult the team leader, and to insult your team leader was to ultimately bring shame to yourself. That was basic shinobi code.

Matsu and Gai fell into an easy conversation, discussing the benefits of summoning jutsu in a variety of tactical situations. Matsu was a new summoner, but he was learning quickly. Gai was helping more with developing strategies while his father who'd passed the summoning scroll on to him was developing his practical skills summoning his falcons.

Genma, Raidou, and Ichiro took up the back, bantering childishly and shoving each other back and forth. Moriko began to feel Kura's eyes upon her. She let it alone for a few steps before glancing to her. "Do you have a question, Kura-san?" she guessed.

"You saved my life once. I'm wondering if I'll have the opportunity to do the same once we get out there, into the fight," she said.

"Why don't you worry about keeping yourself alive rather than try to guess at what is impossible to know?" Moriko chuckled, her black eyes sparkling with humor.

"I've been told it is dangerous to owe ones life to an Uchiha, but you… you are not as I'd always imagined your clan to be," she said.

"Yes, I suppose there are many that can say the same," Moriko replied, seriously. She removed her goggles, lowering them to hang around her neck. "I don't think our clans will ever come to any sort of agreement. Proud men rarely compromise," she added.

"It is too bad," Kura said. "Can you imagine the kind of eyes…?" Moriko shook her eyes, not wishing to think of that. No one should be given that much innate power. A Sharingan or Byakuugan individually could make a shinobi absolutely devastating. Both together in the same person. They would be unstoppable.

Moriko glanced over her shoulder, sensing someone above. Her eyes met Gai's, the green-clad shinobi already looking at her. She nodded to him and he disappeared without a word to Matsu, who stopped speaking mid-sentence, looking around in confusion.

"Go ahead to the restaurant. I'll catch up," she said to her platoon. She looked to Kura especially and asked, "You know which one I presume."

"Hai," Kura nodded. Moriko was gone in a flare of fire. The others frowned in confusion but did as she said.

Moriko landed in front of Gai, who had hold of the messenger by the scruff of his neck. "If you wish to practice stalking, you should really try to control your breathing more," she told him, walking forward and holding out her hand.

"My breathing?" he asked, surprised. He was a 27 year old chuunin and he still didn't know his weaknesses? She said nothing on the subject though she was a bit irritated. Gai's grip tightened when he didn't immediately hand over the scroll they had both noticed in his weapons pouch due the obvious bulge. He quickly scrambled to grab it and hold it out to her.

"You can go," she said, not unkindly but briskly to be sure. The other shinobi did not need to be told twice. Moriko opened the scroll and read it through, her face paling.

"What is it?" Gai pressed.

"Gai-kun, we have received our first mission," she tried to take on her positive, excited tone, but it fell flat and Gai knew it so she continued softly. "Our ambassador in Kusagakure. She was captured by Iwa shinobi and is being held in a remote location. Our mission is extraction or termination," she said. He frowned, definitely not liking that. She was displeased as well. "We will bring her home," she assured him. "The others will not know of the second condition and if it comes to it… I will take care of it. You understand?"

"Mori-chan, I cannot allow you to do that. I will take that burden," he replied. She shook her head, but just as she opened her mouth to say something, they were interrupted.

"Problem Moriko-san?" a deep, calm voice said behind them. Gai turned to face the newcomer. His fists clenched when he met Shisui's gaze and he took a step closer to Moriko, conveniently placing himself partially between Shisui and Moriko. His eyes narrowed at the older boy, handsome, impressive, cool, and collected, everything everyone told Gai he was not. Moriko didn't have the same response though. She seemed to deflate at the sight of Shisui, looking more tired than defensive. That was alright though because Gai was going to protect her. He wouldn't let Shisui near her.

"No Shisui-san. No problem at all," she said without turning.

"It took you a bit long to notice that worthless dropout," he said.

"I noticed him from when he started following us three blocks away, only chose to act when his efforts to practice became an outright embarrassment to his rank," she replied, finally turning slightly to look at him, glancing to Gai with a bit of surprise to see his openly aggressive posture. She forced her eyes back to Shisui though, refusing to let on that Gai's actions stunned her. Shisui cocked his head to the side.

"You are doing well," he said, his dark eyes shifting to Gai and then to the direction her platoon had headed, settling once more on Moriko herself.

"Arigatou," she bowed, trying to keep a confused frown from her face. He said nothing more, turning and walking a few steps to the edge of the rooftop and jumping away.

"Uchiha Shisui," Gai murmured, but he didn't sound as awed as most did when they regarded the genius Uchiha. He was the top active Uchiha jounin. She watched him go in confusion, unable to figure out what that had been about.

"Why would he…?"

"I am unsure," she replied. "Come. We will eat and then brief the others. Remember, nothing about the secondary course of action." He nodded, uncertainly.

Moriko could not sleep. This was not unusual for her, but there was something in particular keeping her awake. She sat upon her futon, staring out the open door and feeling as if a heavy weight had fallen upon her, but she did not know why. She stood, walking out the door and looking around. She didn't bother grabbing her shinobi gear. She walked barefoot down the streets, clad in a blue spandex shirt and dark-blue, Uchiha-crested pants.

The night brought with it a soft wind, the moon hanging low over her head. She walked with her head down, hands in her pockets. Her loose black hair fell over her shoulders and she felt as if she were trapped suddenly as if she were caged in somehow. There were no physical holds on her, but it seemed as if the world was pressing in on. She just… she needed to go, to move. She started to run, feet padding on the dirt road through the complex. She slowed to a stop when she arrived near the lake. She looked out over it, the moon reflecting back at her. There were only six hours until she left for Iwa country.

Moriko had only taken a few steps onto the lake before she felt a presence behind her. She stopped, turning around and looking into the darkness, her dark hair blowing across her face, but she was not seeing with her eyes. She was feeling with her chakra. He was there. She knew it. He was the root of the problem that was keeping her awake.

"Did you have some reason for following me once more, cousin?" she asked.

"I was unaware I was disturbing you, Moriko-san," he replied.

"You would not be disturbing me Shisui-senpai if only you would explain your purpose. Did Fugaku-sama request your surveillance?" she asked.

"I have no negative designs, Moriko-san," he assured her. His eyes bore into hers, but she did not blink or look away. She did not miss how he neatly avoided a real response.

"I did not believe that you would though it is mildly alarming that you would feel the need to state that," she admitted.

"You do not speak as if you were thirteen years of age," he told her.

"I have been a shinobi for almost five years now. It is expected that I would not seem like some kid, is it not?"

"I became a genin at eight years of age as well," he said, as if he were surprised. She stared blankly at him, used to that sort of reaction from Uchiha men. She waited for the surprise to turn to disbelief and then to reproach and lead to her being avoided. It sure would clear her mind quickly. Shisui did not balk however. He stared at her for a few long moments. "You must be something different," he said, walking forward until he stood only a few meters from her. She frowned, lowering her head slightly.

"Soon you shall bow to no man," he said softly.

"I am confused," she said, brow furrowed, looking back and forth before her, unable to look up at him again.

"Is that normal for you?" he asked, with a playful and almost mocking smile.

"No," she replied flatly, no smile touching her face as she finally looked back up at him her gaze stony once more. She had to maintain her invisibility. "You are Uchiha Shisui. You should not be speaking to me. I am… beneath you."

"You are a special chuunin platoon leader. You are below very few now aren't you?" he said. She simply blinked.

"You brought honor to the Uchiha clan… by doing exactly the opposite of what a true Uchiha would do," he said. "Please pardon me for attempting to understand that."

"If Fugaku-sama wishes to get further information on me, I would prefer if he did not send shinobi with important tasks to perform. If he was attempting to do so without gaining my attention, he has not succeeded. I will allow a lower-ranking chuunin or genin to follow me without complaint, should our leader require surveillance of my person," she informed him. He watched as she turned away from him, walking further out into the lake.

"I am not here on orders," he said, following. She looked back at him, wondering why he did not just leave. She had little experience with this senior shinobi. She did know that he was about two years her senior and a new jounin. He had always been just far enough ahead of her for her to be shadowed, her perfect invisibility cloak within the clan. This was good. Until she made jounin, she could not risk too much of Fugaku-sama's attention and Shisui garnered a lot of it.

"I do have to warn you, whether it is in the clan's best interest or not, you are about to find it extremely difficult to continue hiding," he said. Her shoulders stiffened.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded defensively.

"You are the closest Uchiha in age and ability to me Moriko-san. You cannot think that you've fooled me with your loud, presumptuous comments, and childish actions," he said, watching her carefully. Her expression went from defensive worry to anger. She stepped forward until they were nose to nose.

"You know nothing about me," she growled. How dare he? He thought her entire personality was an act? He'd caught her lies quickly enough, but he would never know her. In that moment, she hated him. She hated him with a fire she didn't understand. The jounin would have never given her a second glance had he not caught that accidental glimpse of her three-tomoe when she was ten years old, before he'd gained his third she knew…

"I know that you make annoying promises and that most of them are impossible," he said. "Your doing so allows your superiors to look upon you with pity and think what a weak, delusional girl you are. You have crafted quite the cover, but it will not work."

"Who are you to decide what is and is not possible?" she asked, wondering at how quickly he'd gone from insufferable to obnoxious.

"Jounin by fourteen? You aren't Hatake Kakashi," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"You're right, I'm not him," she replied, knowing he wouldn't understand what that truly meant. She was much better than Kakashi… as a person, as a comrade. "Is that everything?" Without waiting for a response, she walked past him, bumping his shoulder as she went. Her steps caused water steam around her, her anger being reflected by her fiery chakra.

"They're already talking about it, Moriko, your betrothal," he said. She stopped mid-stride. "Between Yashiro, myself, and Rokuri. I thought it only courteous to inform you that their thoughts of that boy Obito have been disregarded. You should be proud to not be thought of as so little as to be betrothed to that dropout."

She brought her hands up in the sign for the body-flicker technique, but instead of a simple flare of fire, she disappeared in a huge blaze which threw off a lot of excess chakra, causing Shisui to jump back to avoid being burned, steam rising around the fire's core where she had been standing moments before.

Gai watched the entire exchange unnoticed, with a deep frown on his face. He had been having difficulty sleeping and been training of course when he'd been alerted by Ren that Moriko was awake and apparently distressed. He'd been attempting to improve his tracking abilities by better-masking his shinobi familiars. Ren had been working very hard in this as well, because it was more the tortoise that avoided detection, but his transfer was essential. Ren had been caught by Moriko three times in the last week, but she'd been undetected the last seven hours apparently.

He'd of course ceased training immediately and set out to find Moriko to see if he could offer any assistance, perhaps an epic battle. That tended to change Moriko's mood quickly if only for a short while. He didn't know much about most people, but he knew more about Moriko than anyone. He cared about her more than anyone as well. Her situation was similar to his, though he'd lost his parents at a much younger age: both shinobi, both killed in grand, impressive ways. It was of little comfort to a lonely child however when one was without parents to know that they'd died heroes. She'd brought him out of his pain, but she'd only done so by opening herself to his view. He knew her pain as well as his own and hers was still very raw.

When he'd come upon her, he'd been surprised. She didn't look outwardly upset, but it was quickly clear that she was not herself. She was walking along the water. Gai was surprised when she spoke, thinking she'd found him out, but when he'd sensed a chakra-masked person reveal himself, he remained very still, putting up an extra genjutsu to conceal himself a bit more just in case.

The conversation had made little sense to him. He knew some of the names spoken, but when it reached a conclusion he found himself stunned, confused. Betrothal? They were common among clans, he'd heard, but he also knew that the number one ender of careers for kunoichi were betrothals and pregnancies. To think that they'd force such a perfect, amazing shinobi to leave her important comrades to what… breed new Uchiha?

Subjugating ones females was a common happening among clans, but he'd never imagined anyone would do it to his friend, to his Moriko. His daze was replaced quickly by anger and a fierce wave of protectiveness. She was his comrade, his teammate and he would not lose her to them. He would not allow them to break her. He felt some kind of panic within him settle. He couldn't lose her. "I swear I will not allow the Uchiha clan to force Moriko into marriage and if I fail I do not deserve to be a shinobi any longer. That is the promise of a lifetime," he whispered to himself. He brought his hands together and with a discreet flicker jutsu, he disappeared, leaving in a small spark of fire.

Meanwhile a long ways away there was one very angry, very tired kunoichi bound head to toe in ropes, lying on a cold cement floor in a bare empty cabin. She was aware that there was no way she was going to be able to break out of these bindings, no way she was going to get out of here alone. She knew Konoha would send in some cleaners and she wasn't going to have that on someones conscience. She felt around painfully slow with her chakra, but the Iwa shinobi had been very careful. She head the door creak open and feigned unconsciousness. There was enough blood pouring down her head. It was feasible. They'd beat the hell out of her before.

"Bitch can do something strange. I'm telling you. She's not normal," the large, gruff shinobi was saying. She could feel his every weapon, every shred of metal on him. She knew where it was and how to extract it without being noticed. She just needed an opening.

"Isn't that right, bitch?" he growled, kicking her in the stomach. She couldn't help but cry out in pain, blood spraying from her mouth. She groaned, laughing some more.

"Please baby, do it again," she got out, only trying to irritate the big man, but the second kick didn't make it. He was shoved backwards. She rolled onto her knees, using her face to push her up onto her knees, looking up at whoever had spared her the second nasty kick with a nasty smirk, blood dripping from her chin. "Please, you act like you're going to do anything better. Your genjutsu wont work, asshole."

"How is that?" he asked, crouching in front of her.

"Because I don't like genjutsu users," she said, grinning with blood-stained teeth. Before he could even open his mouth again he doubled over, blood dripping from his lips. He fell wide-eyed and dead to the ground as she turned her head to the brute just in time to receive a kick to the face.

The next time she came to, she was in even more pain than before. She recognized that she was under the influence of some kind of poison. Her head throbbed dully and she looked around slowly. She'd been moved. She wished she'd been able to leave some sort of chakra trace, but unfortunately when one was unconscious it wasn't logistically possible. She could taste the salt of the ocean which told her she was in one of two places: the Land of Earth on the Northern Coast or somewhere in the Land of Lightning. The intelligence she'd received just before her capture had been very disturbing but she was quickly coming to terms with the fact that Kumogakure was now against Konoha, leaving her village very alone. It had most of the smaller villages on its side, but three of the five great shinobi villages were against them. They still had Kirigakure, but the mist ninja were the least loyal of the nations. She had been trying to leave the village when they'd grabbed her and now… She wondered how many of her comrades had died due to her failure to get that information back to the village.

As usual, her mind was already cataloguing everything within her chakra's reach, but unfortunately it seemed they'd wised up. The shinobi outside her door had no kunai or shuriken on them and she was sure that the next person to come through that door would be clean. She'd used her particular gift to send the man's own kunai straight from his weapons pouch at his hip into his gut, shredding his innards and not stopping until it had embedded in his heart. It had been nearly instantaneous and until they'd removed his clothes and taken off that weapons pouch, they wouldn't have seen the blood. She really didn't like people in her head though, genjutsu was something she could stand to put off for even a few hours, even if it did jeopardize her chances of escape later on. She shaped her chakra around the tip of her finger, sharpening it with an application of a very small amount of lightning chakra. It was a difficult, slow process and with the very small amount of movement she had available, i.e. none, she really had to work to maintain control.

She heard the door open and her electric blue eyes met a pair of dark brown ones that glared back at her captor. It was the same man as before, the brute. He crossed his arms, looking down at her. She stared back at him, this time without any jokes or demeaning comments. He had a small wooden chair in his large plate-sized hand. He slammed it down next to her head.

"Wooden brackets, no screws," he told her, gruffly.

"I knew you were smarter than you were acting," she said with a smile, biting her teeth hard when he lifted her up by her injured shoulder, squeezing in the perfect manner to create the most excruciating pain. He dropped her unceremoniously upon the chair and stepped back, not speaking for a while. She didn't care. Interrogations really were just more of the same. She had been in one or two before. She met his gaze, unaffectedly.

"How so?" he asked, feigning interest.

"Your eyes. You can't hide it in your eyes. They were too keen, noticing all the correct things at the correct moments, your body reacting before you had to make a conscious decision. You're at least jounin level, though I'd say Special Jounin would not be too far away. Also, please remove the Iwa headband. You and I both know you are from the Kumogakure. I assume we're in Iwa country though if you are wearing that," she said.

"I am from Iwagakure," he corrected.

"That is a lie," she said, blankly.

"Are you going to explain why you think so?" he asked.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I have places to be," she said.

"Oh yes? And how do you expect to get to those… places?" he asked, referring to the chakra-enforced ropes wrapped around her. She shrugged. He stepped forward, looming over her, lowering his face until they were eye to eye. "You and I have a lot to talk about. I suggest you relax and get nice and comfortable here. It will be a very long while until you leave this room."

"I disagree," she replied.

"Think what you like Kaminaga Kin," he said. He left her with that, the room going dark as the door was closed behind him. A shard… he had a metal shard embedded in his right shoulder. He probably didn't even realize it was there, but that would be her weapon. She would wait though. There would be that opening and she could not risk being moved again. If someone was sent from Konoha, they could be helpful in getting her out, whether they were sent to kill her or not. She prayed with everything she had that they came. If not, she could only hope to escape strictly to destroy her body in a place of her choosing.


	5. Chapter 5

A Tale of Love and Loss

Maito Gai/Original Character

Disclaimer: The fandom is Naruto and it of course does not belong to me along with many of the characters portrayed. I will do my best to remain true to the characters.

Chapter: A Statement is Made

Gai's keen eyes took in the landscape carefully, his every fiber primed and ready for anything. Matsu had the rear security and Kura led them, her feet finding the perfect spots on every tree, her focus all-encompassing. She was good, but any Hyuuga trained by Hizashi was bound to be. He would accept nothing less than a prodigy, being the clan prodigy himself. His brother was just as strong, but he had more important things to deal with, learning to become clan leader being first and foremost.

"Gai-san, up ahead," she said, spotting a small group of unidentified persons ahead, possible enemy shinobi.

"Two cliques to the left, bravo maneuver, cease chakra-usage and keep moving," he said, without hesitation, as if he had already known they were there. She turned her head to take in his expression but gone was the face of her goofy team leader and replaced was that of a true warrior. He was a year her junior and she'd always thought he was a joke even a bit after he'd seen him in Kusa, but now… She was certainly convinced that he was the best shinobi to lead this team. Her small feet found the best path through the winding trees, dancing gracefully among them and taking in their surroundings at the same time.

Gai suddenly came up behind Kura out of nowhere, the surprise causing her to cancel her kekkei genkai. She'd not even had time to notice the adjustment of his speed. He was so fast! She'd seen him in training, but she'd never seen this level. She was grabbed around the middle and thrown hard. All she saw was blood and then she was being caught and swung around onto Gai's back. His legs carried them both at a speed she could hardly have followed if her Byakuugan had been activated. Matsu was somehow keeping up. She could see a few shuriken get lost in the blur that was his fast-moving figure. The small clinks heard through the rush of wind indicated that he'd parried them both.

"Gai-san, what's happening?" she heard herself asking embarrassedly.

"Use your eyes, Kura-san," he instructed in a calm, even voice. She did as she was told, and what she saw caused her jaws to drop. She immediately grabbed his arm, pulling hard right. He went without complaint, narrowly missing a volley of concealed kunai headed straight for him. She grabbed onto him more firmly around the shoulders and moved her head forward so her mouth was directly beside his ear, not that he needed any more help with his hearing or reflexes. He was astounding in both areas. Her stronger grip allowed him to release her legs. She saw him immediately begin performing hand symbols. They were soon being preceded by a volley of fire.

"27 degrees, 52 degrees, 153 degrees," she started saying, watching in amazement as chakra-infused balls of flames headed directly for those precise angles she gave. Any misses he had were due to her calculations, but he was able to avoid them in any case. He was absolutely breathtaking in action. She could not believe she'd ever underestimated him. Not even Kakashi could compete with his utter mastery of ninjutsu and taijutsu, no one in his age group, or Moriko and Katsuko's for that matter. She'd never seen a chuunin more astonishingly perfect in technique and execution.

She barely had the mental capacity to listen to Gai's conversation with Moriko-taicho over the radio while still directing Gai's attacks. She caught bits and pieces though. Apparently Team Raidou had come under attack as well. The intel on the extent of Kumo's defensive line had been devastatingly faulty. Kura wondered at the two of them while they spoke, both apparently still engaged in fight. It was so strange to her that neither of them even mentioned retreat. It was as if it wasn't even an option. They were to hit hard, hit fast, and break through. If any of the information that her clan had on Moriko's sensei was true it was entirely his style, but she'd never understood that.

They weren't the most strategic clan if this was the way they did things. She'd heard that Uchiha were cold, calculating, and would rather give up a mission than face adversity, but this was the second time Moriko-taicho had barreled in risking herself and her closest comrade to save someone she hardly knew. Until this mission, Kura had never even heard of Kaminaga Kin, but they were putting everything on the line, a full platoon in danger for the sake of one kunoichi. She was conflicted, because as a shinobi she knew this was wrong, but at the same time if she were in Kaminaga's shoes, she would like to hope that Sandaime Hokage was sending Moriko-san after her. It wasn't her former sensei Hizashi she would want, or Minato-san… it was Moriko Pride in her platoon swelled in her and she frowned, watching the enemy shinobi forces swarm around them, moving to flank them quickly.

"Zulu Maneuver!" she shouted.

Without a second thought, Gai complied, dropping to the ground. Matsu hit the earth first, hitting it with a massive earth jutsu that sent rock flying everywhere. Gai followed the other male shinobi down underground and Kura jumped from his back just in time to land on her own feet on a somewhat sturdy piece of earth next to a demolished tree. She performed a powerful, complicated combination of hand signs and as they drew within her range she readied herself, lowering herself nearly to the ground in a customary Hyuuga form. She bowed her head almost submissively until the first came within inches of her with a kunai. She spun hard, letting off massive amounts of chakra. It swirled and roared around her and she sent it in waves, spinning so quickly that not one could come within range. Under her feet, Gai suddenly sent off a huge plume of fire which caught into her spin, their chakra mixing to create a devastating reaction, heat burning all around them, exploding outwards so fast that it destroyed everything it touched. She stopped spinning, breathing hard and looking around at the devastation, fires still blazing around them. Matsu and Gai both jumped up next to her and she knelt, breathing heavily, placing her fist on the ground. Sweat poured down her face from the heat and the exertion.

"I haven't seen that one before," Matsu chuckled.

"Neither have I," Kura said palely. Gai said nothing on the subject. He had a small cut above his brow as well as one on his arm. Even he was mildly winded. Kura and Matsu waited for his loud declaration, both feeling rather proud of themselves, but Gai's praise and bragging was not forthcoming. Instead he turned sharply from them both, placing his hand to his ear, shoulders stiff.

"Moriko-taicho, come in!" he snapped. "Mori!" he shouted loudly. "DAMN IT!" he snapped. "Matsu, keep up," he ordered, grabbing onto Kura without pause and taking off. She didn't have time to protest that she was fine. He was so fast. She spent most of her training up until being assigned to Gai's team working on increasing her power as a Hyuuga. Apparently she needed more work in the speed department than she thought. The shame was deep as she was carried like a child through the woods, but she worked hard to remain useful, her eyes activated and searching. The others' route should be at least a half day's run from their own. They'd run nearly parallel to each other, but Team Raidou's route was an hour's run behind. If they continued at this angle and Moriko's team was moving forward, they would be coming up behind them.

"Gai-kun, you need to anticipate that she will be moving forward," she whispered, so quietly that Matsu would not hear. "You have to believe in her that much or we will miss her and blow the whole mission," she told him. Though she wouldn't try to talk him out of a rendezvous with the other team, she wouldn't allow him to fail this mission. He'd never forgive himself. He'd thought for only a few moments, probably debating with himself before he conceded.

Matsu began falling behind, but he struggled along as well as he could and Gai adjusted marginally so that Matsu remained within range of Gai's midrange ninjutsu. Gai was eager to ensure that his best friend was alright, but he would not allow it to keep him from protecting his team. She searched as hard as she could, looking not only for their friends, but for enemy both physical signs and traces of enemy chakra, for disturbed dirt or broken tree branches, really for anything that might indicate the presence of other shinobi. Suddenly there was a crackling and Gai came to a screeching halt. He held out his arm, catching hold of Matsu's grey jacket as he nearly barreled past. Kura was surprised that it didn't rip, going from that speed to a dead halt so quickly.

"G-as-saw-shin-Gai! Gai!" was heard, and finally it had cleared up enough for them to be able to catch a word.

"Mori-chan!" he said.

"Where the hell are you?" her voice practically ripped through the ear piece, piercing and powerful.

"We are twenty minutes from your projected position," he replied.

"Damn it Gai! You're supposed to have continued on mission," she snapped.

"I apologize taicho!" he shouted. "I shall do 14,000 one-handed pushups to ensure that I never make such a mistake again!" Kura rolled her eyes as he dropped, with her still on his back doing pushups with one hand of course. She got off his back with a hand from Matsu.

"Gai, cease your exercises immediately!" Moriko snapped.

"Please instruct us as to where to go from here Moriko-taicho," Matsu asked rationally.

"Continue along our route to the village," she ordered.

"Are we going to rendezvous with you then, taicho?" Matsu asked with a small frown.

"We are at your projected position, not that she'd tell you. She altered course the moment we lost communications," Raidou dimed her out without hesitation.

"I will join you in those push-ups when we return to Konoha, Gai," she said.

"Yosh!" Gai replied.

"Take over Team Raidou's movements and we will perform yours from this end," Moriko said.

"Eh, Matsu, Kura you two ever run so hard in your life?" Raidou asked laughingly to his former-teammates.

"At least we don't have time to make up," Matsu replied.

"Alright, that's enough from all of you," Moriko said. "Move out."

Gai allowed Kura to take the lead at her fastest reasonable pace, the Hyuuga still feeling embarrassed at how much more the others had. She vowed not to let them down. Matsu and Raidou expected more of her and she would not hold them back, nor would she hold back her new platoon-mates.

They continued on in companionable silence, all on high alert. If both routes were being watched, it was likely that there had been shinobi who'd been able to escape one of the two onslaughts to get back and warn someone. They weren't exactly sent for a covert mission. They were sending a message, the youngest, most hard-hitting new platoon Konoha had available and they were coming in strong. They would not accept the traitors taking one of their comrades

The hokage knew each of his shinobi down to the silliest traits that most would think to be meaningless, but to him they were what made the person. He also knew from experience that if anyone was going to go full force to save a comrade it would be Uchiha Moriko and Maito Gai. They'd made that abundantly clear during their last assignment. He needed this kunoichi back. She knew too much. He also knew that if any shinobi were going to finish a mission when it came down to the dirty job of killing ones own comrade, it would be Ichiro. He was a complainer, but when it came down to it, he was ruthless. What the hokage didn't know is that his chuunin platoon leader knew that as well and had refused to inform the ruthless young shinobi.

The other team wasn't moving forward as harmoniously as Team Gai however. It was that fundamental difference between Ichiro and the others that created tension from the moment they veered off-course during the downed communications. He was mostly just upset because he'd had to be carried by Raidou. It didn't help that it had been Moriko's quick-thinking that had saved him from a nasty batch of exploding tags only hours before. A powerful shinobi with a wounded ego was definitely not something a captain wanted around. She had been careful not to address the issue. If he had any shinobi bearing at all, he'd store that shit until they returned.

Raidou was their lead man, with Genma coming in second, Ichiro third, and Moriko taking up the rear. Her blood-red eyes did not miss anything and her reflexes would allow her to react more quickly should an attack come from the rear. It was a fairly stable formation. Moriko touched Ichiro's shoulder in warning as she moved effortlessly past him, her speed only one more slap in the face to the irate shinobi who was quickly reaching his limit.

"Raidou-san, increase our speed by 21% and avoid that small town ahead by at least twice the distance we had originally calculated for Team Gai," she whispered.

"Hai, taicho," Raidou nodded. Ichiro gritted his teeth, but thankfully remained silent. The words didn't need to be spoken. His team knew what he was thinking, but he'd complete the mission, because it was expected, because it was demanded.

"Smell that taicho?" Genma asked with a small smile as he passed her. She nodded, grimly. The ocean had never had a more foreboding scent to her. She knew the safe house that had been identified as the probable location of their shinobi target. She prayed they found her reasonable condition, but she'd kill as many of the bastards as she could to reach Kaminaga, dead or alive.

As they drew to their designated position, Moriko moved to the front once more. She and Raidou stopped side-by-side while the others broke off to the sides, taking twenty-five meters between them. Moriko opened her map, checking her watch. "We have sixteen minutes until Team Gai arrives," she barely whispered. A scream rang out from inside and she gritted her teeth, anger gripping her powerfully. Her father had been tortured before he'd been killed. She would destroy whoever else was in that room if that was her kunoichi target in there and she died.

"It's your call taicho," Raidou whispered. Another scream pierced the air.. "If their strength is too great, we may need Team Gai's power, but I'm with you whichever you choose."

"If we'd have waited in Kuso…" she muttered.

"… my entire team would not be on this mission with you. We would have been dead," Raidou finished.

She nodded definitively. "On my signal," she said, her black tomoe began to spin madly in her red eyes.

Moriko shifted, running swiftly towards Ichiro where she had a clear view of the partially-ajar door and crouching once more. She saw her. She'd stared enough at that photograph that it was seared into her memory. It was her, even wearing that same challenging grin after all this time in enemy hands as she spit blood out at the feet of her attacker.

Moriko took him in in for few moments, watching as he circled his prey carefully. She could see he was a large man, but there was something about him. No, he wasn't just some burly shinobi. He was serious business, jounin level at least. She waited until he was within sight. She took only two seconds to catch him, spinning a web of genjutsu that would make a kage cry before he could even blink. He fell to his knees and someone rushed across the room to him, two shinobi standing around him in moments. She saw one of them and with one glimpse of her eyes he lowered his. Apparently he knew of the Uchiha even as young as he was. She stood confidently, walking forward out of the vegetation, Ichiro's shocked gaze following her. The older one a few years Moriko's senior most likely went to grab their captive, placing a kunai to her throat.

"Wait!" the first shouted, the one who'd recognized her eyes.

"Very good. You'd better not kill your only bargaining chip," she said. She remembered her hokage's last explicit words upon that scroll. They were sending a message. She could do theatrical and she would. Incidentally, this meant that, one of these shinobi would live. They would live to tell the terror of Konoha Shinobi. She thought perhaps the hokage meant to try to shake up the Kumo ninja enough to shake them out of the allegiance with Iwa… perhaps. Though that would mean other shinobi were on similar missions across Kumo's territory, perfectly likely of course, but that information was very high above her pay grade. They had already bowled over a couple of powerful platoons of Kumogakure shinobi, but this would be icing on the cake if they could finish them here as well without difficulty which she planned on doing.

"How many are with you?" the man holding the knife to Kaminaga's throat demanded, obviously an inexperienced shinobi to ask such a dumb question. She'd never answer that.

"Shut up and just hand the woman over!" the other exclaimed.

"Tell him to release her or I will have your captain kill himself just for sport," she sneered. "If you know of me, you will know that not even a powerful jounin can break my genjutsu." This was a bluff. If he was a good enough genjutsu user, it could be broken in a couple minutes. She wasn't as good as Shisui after all. She just had to convince him quickly enough.

Moriko scowled deeply when he didn't immediately comply, her eyes turning on the man holding her village-mate, entrapping him in moments since he didn't seem to care to look away. She watched dispassionately as he released her comrade who fell forward, breathing heavily. The man began to scratch at his own skin, going as far as to pull out a kunai and try to skin himself before she dropped him.

She made it seem like she was playing around, but really two separate minds under genjutsu was difficult enough and it felt like this jounin wasn't going to give up that easily. He was powerful. Every time he began to realize what was happening, she had to change to a different scenario. She wouldn't be able to hold him long, but long enough to get a knife to his throat, maybe.

"Wait! Wait, please!" the youngest cried out, obviously not knowing what to do. She was surprised, usually Kumo shinobi were well-disciplined. She would have thought he'd have attacked by now, but then… he was just a kid.

"Take her… just take her," he cried. She noticed the patch sewn into his sleeve. It matched the one on the jounin's. Father perhaps? She nodded, whistling. She hardly batted an eye as it was a green blur that moved forward to collect the now-unconscious woman rather than the blue that would have been Raidou. She could practically taste his receding chakra as he and his team left the area swiftly. She looked to her right as Raidou walked forward slowly.

"You said… but you!" the boy stuttered. His older and clearly-less-intelligent comrade got angry and ran forward recklessly. Raidou moved to step in front of her, but she leapt forward and ended his life in slice of her blade. Raidou stared at her surprised obviously, but she didn't even blink, blood from his cut neck splashing across her jawline.

"I'll kill you!" the boy screamed. She was convinced now that it was his father she still held on the ground in her genjutsu.

"Your loud proclamations mean little to me," she replied calmly, not bothering to wipe the blood from her face.

"You and your father can go on, boy. Obviously he is a worthless excuse for a jounin and you are just pitiful," she muttered, sheathing her sword. She felt it break though, her genjutsu. The boy tried to run for her just like his comrade before and she sighed, hoping he didn't make it to his blade before his father stopped him. She would rather not kill either, but she could not show weakness in front of these Kumo shinobi, nor could she show weakness in front of her team.

Her blade was stopped by an angry chakra-infused scythe, wielded by the man she had formerly held in her control, the boy flung back on his rear end. "He was the wrong genin, girl," he growled.

She nodded seriously, noting the blood on his hands. She'd seen the state of the her comrade. She'd live but she would not let him off easy even if his son was present. "I wish you luck, comrade, but you should not challenge me," she whispered. He frowned, pushing her hard. She flew back, landing on her feet with the fist holding her blade against the ground. She spun it around, stowing it and cocking her head to the side.

"I am not afraid of you child," he spat.

"Nor I of you old man," she replied evenly, pacing to the right and eying him carefully. He might think this a mere lazy move, but he might actually see it for what it was, positioning herself between her comrade and the dangerous jounin, protecting him. Raidou stood a short ways behind her. He was dead still, watching closely but not interfering.

"He was a good shinobi," he said, referring to the shinobi whose blood was now cooling in a pool beneath his lifeless body.

"He was a reckless fool," was her mild response, but this only angered the two of them more. This jounin obviously had a bit of an issue controlling his emotions. That made him unpredictable and probably more powerful to make such a high level of ability in spite of this weakness.

The man performed an unfamiliar series of hand symbols. Her eyes took them in expertly, Raidou's team cleared out of the visible area, Raidou as well. It would be one more thing for the jounin to worry about. He would be distracted trying to worry about protecting the chuunin from her team. Moriko did not move.

Moriko fought like an Uchiha with her eyes wide open, wasting no energy until the opportunity arose. She stood completely calm before him, turned partially to the side. As the chakra began to form she began to be able to analyze the individual particles of it from behind her goggles. She whipped out her blade once more, running towards him. She spun hard as a nasty wave of water chakra went her way, hard enough for the air to whirl around her and back towards him, a bit of Kura's flare mixed with a bit of water-chakra added to complete the effect. He flew backwards, catching a hand down. She felt the beginning of a genjutsu and dispelled it immediately. No genjutsu user had ever stood a chance against an Uchiha except of course another Uchiha.

The Uchiha watched as he began to do another jutsu, but he wasn't fast enough. She had pulled back and blown a huge giant fireball his way, one that knocked him back off his feet. His son ran in the middle of her next attack, a wave of fireballs, one of which struck him in the side of the head, sending him to the ground, screaming. She sighed, walking forward and lifting her blade to finish him, but the father came back with a vengeance.

Raidou came out of nowhere tackling her out of the way of a nasty slicing water scythe attack. One sliced across his back, not deeply but deep enough. The smell of Raidou's blood made something in her turned. She stood immediately, her eyes blazing an angry red and in seconds she was behind the jounin, a fiery fist slamming into his back from behind. She moved so fast that he couldn't react, couldn't even breathe before she'd grabbed him by the neck, slamming him to the ground and running her blade through his heart. She looked over at his son who was still screaming on the ground, holding his burning face.

She leaned down, conflicted for a moment, before lighting her hand with green chakra and healing the side of his face marginally before raising her fist and slamming it down into his face, knocking him out cold. She rose, looking at Raidou, who was standing, staring at her in shock. She said nothing, walking towards him and looking at his back. She raised her hand, reaching through the hole of the jacket with warm green chakra and carefully stitching the skin back together. She'd overreacted to his injury, but she could not bring herself to regret it.

The destruction left behind was limited so she turned and aimed a huge ball of fire at the building. She then let off a nasty copied earth jutsu that tore up the area. Let them think their shinobi went out in a grand way. She looked at the boy. He was still breathing. He'd make it, but he would become a formidable foe. She knew as well as any shinobi that hate was a great motivator, stronger than most. She couldn't underestimate him. She had a feeling they would meet again.

Ichiro moved forward from the trees and she stepped in his path, catching his wrist in a deadly grip. "The boy lives" she growled.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to follow through on this mission. You're so weak," he responded.

"I have my weaknesses, but I doubt you shall ever understand what they are and why," she said. "This however, is not one of them."

With a serious look to Raidou, she turned from Ichiro, expecting Raidou to defend the boy if necessary. She whipped out a small bag from her pocket. She reached in, pulling out a flower… a lotus flower. She jumped to the destroyed building. The body of the first she'd killed had slipped down between them. She reached down, pulling him from the earth, setting him down on a large rock. She lay him down on his back, folding his arms across his chest and placing the lotus flower in his right hand. She did the same with the jounin-level shinobi before moving back to the injured boy.

He was clearly no older than Gai. She sighed, knowing how much she hated the shinobi that had taken her father away and she didn't even know who had killed him. She placed the last lotus flower in his hand, taking a spare moment to heal her blow to his face enough that it wouldn't cause further damage, simply keep him unconscious.

Then she straightened, drawing a deep breath. "Move out," she ordered sharply. Raidou and Genma did so immediately. Ichiro was a short step behind, sending a glare down to the boy she'd left alive, but Moriko didn't move until he took off ahead of her.

They made it from the area at the same speed they'd come in, following the most direct route back towards Konoha. They had to catch up with Gai. matsu could perform a few base healing jutsu, but Moriko had seen Katsuko perform enough that she would be better able to heal the injured kunoichi.

"Not a survivor, a witness," Genma was the first to figure it out. "This wasn't about Kin-senpai, none of it was about her. It was a message."

"You didn't tell us the whole mission. What the hell were you thinking?" Ichiro accused, looking back at her.

"That's enough," Raidou said, his voice reverberating from the front of the group. It was lucky for Ichiro because he'd been about to take a nasty fist to the face. She said nothing however, her red eyes having better things to watch than Ichiro's childish tantrum.

It didn't take long to overtake the others. They'd stopped and both Matsu and Gai were clumsily attempting to heal her. She shoved Matsu aside, Gai on his feet and backing away before she had even entered the clearing. "Pay more attention Matsu-san," she scolded, her red eyes spinning as she drew on every ounce of her knowledge from Katsuko to begin to heal the kunoichi, who was shuddering under her hands.

"Raidou, take command!" He immediately began setting up a 360, instructing Ichiro and Genma to set traps and sending Gai to set up a secure outer perimeter. Matsu collapsed on his rear end, having spent his limit of chakra with that last jutsu. He breathed heavily, watching Moriko's eyes fascinated as they spun in rapid circles. Apparently she was relying heavily on them. Had they done that when she'd healed him before? Kura was kneeling in front of him, looking him over for signs of injury. He kept pushing her away, telling her he was fine.

A gasp was heard and suddenly Moriko was no longer healing, but restraining. She didn't have to say a word. In an instant, Kura, Raidou, and Matsu were all trying to get the special jounin restrained. "Kaminaga-senpai!" Moriko said again and again, trying to snap her out of it. She watched her hands coming together in the same jutsu her father had ended his own life with and the young Uchiha reached up, grabbing both sides of the kunoichi's face, her spinning red eyes hovering above her. She caught her in a genjutsu in a split second, simply causing her to feel she was being completely restrained. She stilled below them.

Moriko lifted her hand to her radio, not caring about the blood that was smeared across it. "Gai, I need you." He was there in less than two seconds. "Restrain her," she said, nodding for the others to back away. Moriko sat her up and Gai sat behind her, locking her in an unforgiving, unbreakable hold. Moriko knelt before her, nodding for Matsu and Raidou to hold her legs and for Kura to hold her arms, giving her a deathly serious look, knowing the girl knew what jutsu this jounin had tried to perform before and would try again. She sighed and lowered her goggles before looking straight into the dull green eyes before her and releasing the jutsu she had on her. It was like a switch snapping and she was back, fighting full force, but she was rendered nearly immovable by the young shinobi.

"Kaminaga Kin, I am Uchiha Moriko. You know my cousin Uchiha Ryuu. We have met before, senpai. You must calm down. You are exacerbating your wounds," she told the woman, whose wild eyes finally found pause looking into her red ones.

"Uchiha Moriko…" she finally said after easing a bit.

"Hai… You probably do not remember. It was the last Uchiha Festival. You wore a green kimono and a pink blossom in your hair. No enemy would remember something like that," she pointed out.

"A sakura blossom," Kin whispered, as if finally breaking free of a bad dream.

"You are safe with us Kaminaga-senpai," Kura assured her.

"Kumogakure has turned. They have joined forces with Iwa. They killed all the civilians that were from the fire country and our shinobi. I believe I was the only one they kept alive," Kin said quickly.

"You can tell the hokage that yourself then Kaminaga-senpai. You should be healed enough to go straight to him when we arrive," Moriko said, standing. She nodded to Gai who released her. Matsu, Raidou, and Kura did the same.

Gai stood walking to her, as if he instinctively knew she wanted him. Raidou followed and they moved across the way. Ichiro and Genma were still out setting up traps. When Moriko was satisfied that the others couldn't hear, she turned to her two team leaders. "She's too weak to move right now. We need to give her time to rest. We're two days, fifteen hours, and 12 minutes from Konoha give or take a few minutes with an extra shinobi to carry."

"Two shinobi to carry," Gai said quietly. Moriko looked over his shoulder at Kura. "She performed admirably, but she is nearly at her limit."

"Fine, can you carry her?" she asked. He nodded. "Raidou, will Kaminaga-san be too much a burden for you with your injury?"

"It's a scratch," he replied dully. "Relative pace?"

"Normal mission speed with variation only for unknown variables along the route at which time I will be able to assist you," she replied.

"I will be fine," he nodded.

"Then we will move as a platoon. I will take point. Genma will follow behind me then you Raidou. Matsu will take your right flank and Ichiro your left. Gai will carry Kura to the rear. We'll move out in 6 hours. Do you have any questions?" she asked, setting her stop watch with a few soft beeps.

"No taicho," they both said. Raidou went to his two teammates as they returned, conveying the information. Gai went and told Matsu, Kura, and the jounin Kin what was going on. Kin's eyes met Moriko's dull black ones, but rather than maintain eye contact Moriko turned away, finding a tall tree and jumping up into it.

Kin watched the strange, goggle-eyed young kunoichi. She'd remembered her, though Moriko seemed to think she would have forgotten the ten-year-old genin that Ryuu had been so threatened by the last time they'd been together when she'd been in Konoha. She'd been in Kumo for a year and a half now. Apparently the girl didn't realize how shaken her clan truly was by her success. Anger from her male counterparts was particularly tangible. Mid-level Uchiha men were being embarrassed by her skill and even a few who thought themselves very powerful.

She watched the boy clad in the green spandex jumpsuit follow her closely, seating himself like a sort of guard dog at the bottom of the tree she'd placed herself in. She noticed that though he closed his eyes, he didn't really let his guard down. He wasn't going to let anyone touch her obviously. She smiled at this, remembering the time when that had been her true priority, protecting her most important person. She had never worked with any of these shinobi, too young for her generation really. She was nearly 22, a jounin, and quite beyond them, but they couldn't be so weak as she imagined. They'd rescued her from a formidable enemy. She hadn't even needed to perform her special jutsu.

One of the other young chuunin jumped up into the tree, and she chuckled as the strange-looking boy with the bowl-cut jumped to his feet, looking up at him almost suspiciously. There was a short exchange in the tree before the beat-up black stopwatch was relinquished to his hands and she dropped from the tree with a softly-spoken "Arigatou," that Kin had to strain to hear.

She and the spandex-wearing boy looked at each other for a long moment before he sat down and she beside him, side by side. Kin's smile was almost too difficult to fight when she watched as they both unconsciously leaned towards the other, both relaxing into sleep and not the on-guard sleep the boy had been about to undergo. They completely relaxed until her her head rested on his shoulder and his upon her head. The shy, uncomfortable pair of them reminded her painfully of herself and Ryuu at that age, though he seemed to be a couple years younger than his platoon-leader where Ryuu had been four years her senior.

Kin sighed. The problem was, Uchiha females were not easily relinquished. She looked to be about fourteen… She'd be married soon. That was a near-certainty and it would not be to anyone outside of the Uchiha clan. Lucky for Kin the clan had no problem bringing female outsiders in especially those with special abilities of their own, but they did not let their kekkei genkai out of the family She looked away from the goggle-wearing girl and her green-spandex-wearing teammate, feeling sadness encompass her.

"Odd pair huh?" the girl next to her whispered. "I have absolutely no idea what she sees in him as a person. He is the biggest weirdo that I've ever met, but he's an amazing shinobi, a great team leader."

"He has a good heart," Kin told the younger kunoichi. "In shinobi life Hyuuga-san, you will learn that it has less to do with this," she poked the girl in the forehead, "and everything to do with this." With that she placed her palm over the girl's heart.

"We're taking this break for you two, you know," Raidou said from nearby, softly-enough so the others who were already asleep would not be disturbed.

"Hai, Raidou-san," Kura said, flaming red. Kin watched the girl fall back onto her back as quickly as humanly possible and shook her head, sure the girl had bonked hers on the ground.

"Goodnight, Hyuuga-san," she said.

"Goodnight, Kaminaga-senpai," Kura whispered as if she were afraid Raidou might hear. Kin lay back, unbelievably glad they had come, surprised at how grateful she felt really. Had someone told her months ago that Ryuu-chan's geeky cousin would be saving her life with a band of preteen chuunin she probably would have laughed right in their faces.

"Thank you," Kin whispered, convinced no one had heard her, but not bothered by the fact.

"How did it go, Mori-niichan!?" Moriko turned as her cousin jogged up.

"Obito-niisan!" she smiled in greeting, waving for her team to go ahead of her, heading home to rest finally. She still had responsibilities here, an individual debriefing with the hokage. She bowed to the younger boy respectfully. Even his family was slightly higher than her in the hierarchy of the clan of course. Most families were.

"Success?" she questioned, watching her young cousin with careful, calculating eyes. He nodded tiredly, glancing up at his sensei then back at his cousin.

"Another high ranked mission for Team Seven?" she asked, remembering she'd heard something about Kakashi's latest mission being B-rank. It could only be this as they looked as if they'd just returned. Obito was an inch or so shorter than her, his goggles on lopsided on his forehead and his eyes worn. She reached up, straightening his goggles carefully. He smiled crookedly instead causing her to smile.

"Ah, Moriko-chan," Minato-sensei nodded. "All of my team performed well."

"Especially Kakashi-kun, Moriko-san! He saved Obito and I twice!" Rin said, clasping her hands in front of her girlishly.

Moriko cringed, her eyes narrowing. She opened her mouth to say a few not-exactly-kind things to the girl. She would never allow Kakashi to "save her". In a mission it was shinobi's duty to carry their own weight. To be saved was to admit that you were not good enough and Rin seemed happy about it. Every once in a while she'd see a glimmer of hope that Rin might turn out to be a formidable medical nin, but she tended to drop a kunai on her toe every time Moriko entertained the idea.

"I doubt Obito-san needed Kakashi's help in the first place," she said darkly, purposefully not looking in the direction of the silver-haired shinobi. A fire appeared in Obito's eyes and he clenched his fists, nodding sharply. Kakashi was wholly unaffected by the entire exchange. He simply turned and walked away, leaving his sensei and teammates behind.

"Minato-sensei, I must attend my secondary debriefing. Please excuse me," she said, stepping backwards and bowing. "Niisan, will you be recovered enough by tomorrow for our normal training time?" she asked.

"A-Ah," he replied.

"Why do you even waste your time?" Kakashi muttered. She finally turned to give him a biting reply but he was already walking away, hands in his pockets, shoulders rounded. Obito glared after him with clenched fists.

"The time will come Obi-niisan," she said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing lightly. Then she waved to them, walking back into the building. She dragged herself step by step into the building.

"You are a good shinobi, Uchiha Moriko," she heard from behind her. She looked back with a confused frown, her eyes meeting those of Minato-sensei. "I just thought you should actually hear it from time to time," he told her. She cocked her head to the side.

"Arigatou, Minato-sensei," she muttered, but he was already gone. She stood for a moment, considering that. Kouichi-sensei did not do compliments. It was not Uchiha style. Success was expected in the Uchiha clan even from the most lowly of females, not that the latter of those issues mattered to her sensei.

She made her way to the first interrogation room, entering silently with a nod to Hiroshi-san the Head of the Interrogation department. Ibiki-san was sitting in on this as well. It was an interrogation yes, but it was a comrade, someone who'd faced enough torture today, which made it more of an interview.

Moriko listened tiredly, focusing closely. Even though she was here as a representative of the platoon that extracted the kunoichi, she still could learn a lot. Hiroshi-san was a great man: impressive and exacting. The information was all given openly, freely. It was easy to tell that there was no lie in Kaminaga Kin's eyes. She was sincere. Confused and angry of course, but sincere. Her story about the torture got to Moriko, struck her deeply. Though she'd heard of worse and seen shinobi that had survived it, she still had difficulty listening to those types of stories. Her father's death was still with her.

"Did you kill them?" was asked. Moriko looked up as she was finally addressed, the blue eyes of the jounin kunoichi bearing into her.

"The jounin and the brown-haired man, yes," she nodded.

"The boy?" Kin asked, conflict quite plain in her eyes.

"Alive," Moriko replied, keeping her face blank.

"He was kind-hearted," Kin said. "Kept asking them to stop, but then they handed him a kunai… forced him…" Moriko nodded with morbid understanding. Trial by fire. Tears dance in Kin's eyes, but she did not shed them.

"That will be enough for the evening. Moriko, you will ensure the safety of this kunoichi until the morning," Hiroshi said sharply. She felt an unusual inclination to complain to herself, but she quenched it quickly. Just because she had hardly slept in days did not give her the right to complain when she still had friends on the front lines, fighting for days on end.

"Hai, senpai." she said softly.

"Hiroshi-san, please allow me to take over Moriko-san's guard," Ibiki said, standing and bowing swiftly. Hiroshi looked to Ibiki with a pleased gaze, though it did not show in his face.

"I expect a full debriefing from you in the morning," Hiroshi said, eyes on Moriko.

"Hai, senpai," she said once more. She sent Ibiki a grateful look, helping Kin to her feet.

"I'm fine," the jounin said, pulling from her grasp. "Please try to rest, Moriko-san."

"Ah," Moriko nodded. She stepped back, disappearing in a whirl of fire. She did not go home though. She found herself standing outside Gai's door. She was tired, but she had this feeling deep inside her, gnawing at her. She couldn't go back home, not to that house, the house where she was informed of her father's death.

Moriko sat down beside his door, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin upon them, closing her eyes and simply steadying her breathing. It was hardly a ten minutes before the door was swung open and Gai looked out, looking both ways then catching a glimpse of her. He held his hand down and she took it, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet and into the apartment.

She lay down on his couch and he went to collect a blanket for her. By the time he returned with it, she'd fallen asleep. He smiled sadly. He could not come home from fights with an earth-shinobi without that feeling so he understood it well. In the shinobi world, when you lost a parent the safest way to deal with that was to push it all away. The problem with that was that when those memories were triggered, it was nearly impossible to keep them out.

He sat down on the ground next to the couch, unsure what else to do. He glanced back at her, wondering what this was in his stomach, this turning, this deep heavy feeling. He looked across the small room, the darkness nothing to his superior vision. He could make out every inch of the wooden door every dent, dip, and worn place. It was a door. It made sense. His mind was not so easily understood.

Moriko was important to him. Even at eleven he knew that she always would be. He'd always felt she was her eternal rival, but he'd begun thinking that perhaps he had a different sort of inclination towards her. He frowned at himself. What though? With a closed fist of determination he decided that he would find out. That was the promise of a lifetime!

Moriko and Gai started training at 0430 hours. As they'd both promised a large number of pushups, they still had to keep their world. It was their ninja way after all. They had been going for half an hour now, and neither had let up, both turning it in their minds into a needn't even say anything anymore. It was just natural to compete in everything they did. Sweat drenched the earth beneath them both and by the time they were done, the two chuunin collapsed, arms aching. "YOSH! My most impressive teammate, you have defeated me this time, but I shall not be thwarted again!" she exclaimed. He laughed.

"I shall look forward to our next match Moriko-taicho!" he replied enthusiastically.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Genma's voice snapped them out of their blinding smiles and exclamations. He stood with his arms crossed and though his tone was one of annoyance, he was smiling despite himself.

"Genma-san, what are you doing here?" Moriko questioned.

"Is this or is this not our training ground, Taicho?" another voice questioned. She looked beyond him to where Raidou was pulling Ichiro along behind him.

"Platoon Moriko does not take days off," Kura piped in from behind them. Moriko smiled broadly.

Gai clenched his fists tears streaming down his thin face. "My team is so impressive. Only days after a grand battle, they arrive ready and excited to train," he said.

"My team is here too, Gai," Raidou pointed out flatly, but Gai was in his own world.

Moriko was on her feet in an instant, walking towards Raidou. She bowed to him. "Arigatou, my friend," she said. "We shall begin then."

"Hai," Raidou nodded.

"Gai, you shall face Ichiro-san. Kura will spar with Raidou. Matsu and Genma you shall face me. We will use only taijutsu," she said. "Yosh," she said and in a flash, she was gone. Raidou and Matsu followed as she led them to the other end of the training ground, immediately laying into them. Team Moriko was going to be strong. This was certain. How strong? Only time could tell


	6. Chapter 6

A Tale of Love and Loss

Maito Gai/Original Character

Disclaimer: The fandom is Naruto and it of course does not belong to me along with many of the characters portrayed. I will do my best to remain true to the characters.

Chapter: Loss and Gain

Kura walked slowly down the street, terrified and sickened all at the same time. Tears streamed down her face. She thought about how silly her clan would think her, shedding tears for an Uchiha. Death was a necessity of life and to die in the service of ones village was the greatest honor, but to die at thirteen… there was nothing grand about this, nothing good about this. She sniffed, trying to control her sobs, but it was too hard. She found her feet took her unwillingly where she needed to go, but everything in her heart screamed for her to run.

The lavender-eyed girl stopped at the edge of the training grounds, watching as Gai and Moriko laughed through their spar. Moriko was pinned and quickly spun an escape out of nothing. Gai was too fast to let her get away from him however and grabbed hold of her wrist, bringing his feet up in a kick, but Moriko danced aside easily. The two noticed her presence at the exact same time, turning to her as a particularly loud sob broke free. She quickly covered her mouth with a wide eyes.

Moriko was at her side in a few moments. Moriko was so good at reading people. Kura was sure that the grief was the first layer of what Moriko saw when she looked at her. She knew this grief wasn't even hers though. It was grief for her friend, for Moriko. She hadn't lost hardly anything, the first of their generation to fall yes, but not a friend of hers. Kura placed a hand on Moriko's arm, taking hold of it and pulling her into a sharp embrace. Moriko was surprised.

Kura waved Gai forward, knowing that it would take only a few words to break Moriko and Gai was the only one who could support Moriko in this. Moriko usually held them up, but Gai was her foundation and Kura knew that, they all knew that. Reading the expression in her eyes (he could always do so in serious moments like this despite how clueless he usually was) Gai moved forward. "Minato-sensei's team went on another B-rank mission," Kura said, shakily. Moriko pulled back quickly.

"I know the mission," she said sharply, black eyes boring into her subordinate's eyes. It had been discussed that her platoon might have taken it.

"It was misclassed, Moriko. It should have been A-rank or even S-rank. They met with- They didn't-" Kura's voice broke and a fresh wave of tears came over her.

"Kura, what happened?" Moriko ordered, grabbing Kura's arms in a punishing grip, so tightly that Kura winced in pain. Gai quickly pried Moriko's hands away and pulled her back a few steps.

"It's Obito-san, Moriko. Obito-san- he-" Kura sobbed. "He didn't-" Kura could go no further seeing the look of absolute devastation come over Moriko's face. She'd never seen that look from Moriko. Kura was aware that Obito was one of Moriko's only cousins that even really acknowledged her, the only one she trained with aside from her sensei. He was three years her junior yes, but she'd looked upon him as a younger brother and he'd looked up to her. She'd failed to keep him safe, to train him well enough, to help him improve enough to survive, to live.

Gai had released Moriko moments before, immediately wrapped his arms around her, just as her knees went out from under her. She fought for her breath, eyes blank… empty. "I've got you Moriko," he whispered. There was nothing to reach her though. Gai fell back, holding her in his arms.

Kura moved forward and Moriko let out an incoherent shout. Gai shook his head. "C-can I… Gai-san what…" Kura begged to be told what to do, to be guided.

"Kouichi-sensei, is on mission. I have her. You go tell the others," he said somberly. She ran off without another word. Gai looked down at Moriko who leaned back against him, staring off into space.

"Kakashi," she said so quietly that he almost didn't catch it. Gai didn't have time to react when she got her feet underneath her and took off like a flash. He frowned after her, until he realized where she was going and what she planned to do. He followed with his full speeds, dropping his weights to move more quickly.

"Kakashi!" she screamed, finally locating his chakra signature. He stood in the middle of the main street that led to hokage tower. She came at him so quickly that he hardly knew what hit him. He reacted quickly however, throwing her off him with an expert weight-shifting maneuver simply as a reflex. She ran at him again. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HIM! What kind of JOUNIN ARE YOU!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. Kakashi straightened out of his defensive position, closing his unbandaged eye and allowing her fist to connect harshly with his face, bones crunching with the power behind it as he was sent back through the quickly-cleared streets.

"You stupid, selfish bastard! What did you do?" she demanded, allowing him barely time to get a knee under him before her foot connected with his sternum and he flew back again. Gai arrived then and jumped in front of Kakashi. He was fully prepared to defend him, but Moriko never reached him, a cry of pain coming from her. Gai cringed at the sound about to move forward, but as soon as he recognized the chakra signature, his shoulders relaxed.

"Shinobi do not accuse each other. Kakashi is your comrade and he did everything in his power to protect his team," a harsh, weighted voice said. Even Gai cringed under the seriousness of the statement.

"HE HATED OBITO!" she shouted.

"Look at him!" Minato-sensei roared in return, loosening his elbow around the kunoichi's throat. She looked at Kakashi whose blood-smeared face was streaked with tears. Minato released her and she fell to her knees pathetically staring at Kakashi, the grief in Kakashi's eyes identical to that in her own. The two young shinobi stared at each other in silence while Minato crossed the distance between them, placing a hand on Gai's shoulder as he passed. He pulled Kakashi to his feet, placing a hand on his shoulder and steering him away. Kakashi did not resist, allowing his sensei to lead him.

Moriko broke down in tears and Gai started towards her, but a blue flash in front of him stopped him mid-step. He stared at the back of a black-haired Uchiha. "This is an Uchiha matter. Your assistance is no longer required Maito Gai," Shisui said. Gai recognized not only his voice but his stance though the shinobi did not turn to face him. Gai clenched his fist to fight, but looking at his friend he knew he could not. She could not take more conflict, not today. Shisui knelt in front of Moriko and with a few small words had pulled her to her feet, wrapping his arms around her and transporting himself and her in one sign, leaving Gai looking around at the villagers who had cleared the walkway and were looking on in shock. He stood defeated, looking after Moriko helplessly.

Moriko sat next to Shisui on the dock. He didn't speak for a long while. She didn't need him to. He'd lost cousins before, friends. He knew the pain she was feeling. It didn't make it easier. Hell he'd lost his brother while they served on a mission together and the memory of that pain didn't lesson the pain that she felt at Obito's loss. Her training time with Obito may have been reduced to perhaps once or twice a week due to the increased strain of missions, but he was still her closest cousin, her only true friend within the clan aside from Kouichi-sensei.

Shisui lazily manipulated his chakra in his hand, drawing up enough for a fire. "This fire, this will was in Obito in his last moments," he said softly. "I am told that he activated his Sharingan in his last battle, his last stand. He died to defend his country, to protect his teammates. His death was a good one."

"How can any death be good?" she whispered

"When there is honor in it, when it is in defense of what one believes in. Obito lived his ninja way until his last moments," Shisui said.

"You did not even like Obito, Shisui-san," she replied in a tired, weak voice. She didn't know what to believe anymore, but of that she was certain. Shisui did not suffer the weak, in any capacity. He had always looked down on Obito, just as he looked down on so many others like him.

The water rippled beneath her feet and she tracked its progress across the surface of the lake, the ripples fading far away, like Obito. He was so far away from her now. She never got the chance to say goodbye to him. Obito had been like a brother to her, literally. He'd looked up to her and she'd looked after him. She hadn't been able to help him in the end though. She hadn't been able to protect him.

Kakashi's eyes haunted her. She had brought disgrace to herself in her reckless actions, disgrace that matched her own disgust with herself. Of course Kakashi hated Obito, but as hard as he tried to hide it, Obito was his best friend, his only friend. Obito was the only person who knew the real Kakashi behind the mask. She remembered a particularly somber discussion following the Kusa/Kumo mission where Obito had admitted that that was not all there was to his teammate. He'd told her that Kakashi was simply broken, like so many of their comrades. He'd even asked her if she knew how to fix it. He'd always wanted to take care of his precious people, Obito… even Kakashi. What would he say to her now, after what she'd done?

The pain increased as that drew her thoughts to her relationship with Katsuko. Obito and Kakashi had hated each other, but they also loved each other. Katsuko had hated her. Moriko knew that, but that didn't mean Katsuko did not love her as well. She swallowed hard, fighting the tears, but something told her that Shisui would not scold her for her tears. He had cried over the death of his brother. She knew that. She knew Shisui wasn't half as bad as she made him out to be in her mind. He was well-loved among the Uchiha. He was even loved by those outside the clan. He was a good man and his next words confirmed the fact.

"It does not matter how I felt about him. He died a hero. In his death, he has earned my regard," he said. She stared down at her shaking hands. Shisui rested his hand on her back and she didn't get the urge to cringe away as she might have thought she would. She let out a breath, tears streaming down her cheeks as she shocked on a sob. She lifted her hand to her lips.

"I never imagined that it would be Obito. I always thought… He's with Kakashi. He's safe there. Kakashi is the best," she said. Her voice trembled and shook.

"Perhaps Kakashi will be the best. Currently he is one of many who are promising," he said. "This war will cut our numbers down. This war will determine who is the best."

"What if it's not you Shisui-san?" she asked.

"Then it is not," he chuckled. "Minato-san is the most powerful shinobi in the village right now and before him the third was the strongest. Who it shall be for our generation is yet to be decided, but the time is coming for one among us to rise. It could even be you." She swallowed at that. Did he believe it? Did he think it was possible? She surely didn't, but then she'd spent her whole life being told that she could do nothing.

"Thank you," she said. He gave her a questioning glance. "Thank you for not being completely horrible as usual," she added to clarify. He chuckled darkly.

"Can I tell you a secret?" he asked. She nodded. "I'm only about half as terrible as you think I am," he admitted.

"Still pretty bad then," she nodded, letting out a light laugh, weighted slightly by the remnants of her tears. She reached down into the water, grabbing a handful and splashing her face with it. She stood up and turned.

"Where are you going?" he asked. She paused glancing back at him, but not saying anything. "Maito then…" he said in an ominous tone.

"Maito Gai is not your business, Shisui-san," she said.

"He is when you make him so much of your business," he said. "You are Uchiha. Don't forget what that means," he told her sharply. She didn't need to ask him what he meant by that. She knew all too well. Nevertheless she left him there, her heart heavy seeking the only person who could soothe that pain, the only person who mattered to her more than her duty to her clan and to her village.

"Are you nervous?" Kura asked, walking up beside her teammate. Moriko glanced to her, considering for a moment.

"I would be a fool not to be, Kura-chan," she replied softly.

"You have earned this, taicho. You must know that," she said.

"I am the first female Uchiha to go this far in a decade," Moriko admitted.

"And I don't think there is an Uchiha more deserving," Kura said.

"That's because you don't like Uchiha," Moriko teased, with a smile.

"Not true… anymore," Kura added. Moriko laughed. She walked forward when beckoned, leaving her teammate. Kura rushed to fall in line with the rest of her platoon, who stood before the entire lineup of the village's jounin. She moved to stand before her hokage, turning slowly to face the jounin who filled the room. She swallowed hard, her eyes tracking from Minato-sensei, past Asuma-san, to Hizashi-sensei, to Kiyoshi-senapi, and settling upon her own sensei who nodded to her seriously. She had his support, always had. Kouichi believed in her more than she did and it was a good thing or she never could have come this far.

"I, Uchiha Moriko, a member of the great Uchiha Clan, accept the responsibility and honor of taking on the title of a Jounin of Konohagakure, sworn to protect and lead the shinobi under me to the best of my abilities, going above and beyond what duty might dictate to defend and represent the village of Konohagakure with all my strength and dedication. I acknowledge the great Hokage of the past and swear my allegiance to Sandaime Hokage and all the Hokage who shall follow in his great footsteps. I shall strive for excellence in everything I do and carry on my will of fire into the next generation," Moriko spoke the words with a reverence and weight that hung in the air heavily.

A few of the elders spoke a few words before the hokage smiled and stepped forward. "I present to you your newest jounin. I expect you all to welcome her with the utmost professionalism and respect her as you do each other." He waved his hand for her to leave the stage, which she did. Gai was of course the first standing before her. He saluted proudly, which she returned with a small smile. She faced each of her chuunin teammates one at a time, receiving her congratulations and accepting a few small gifts for her promotion. Most of the jounin had already left, but those that hadn't were brief in their congratulations. Her sensei had a mission immediately which was why she did not expect him to be waiting.

The last in line was Minato-sensei. She bowed, but he shook his head. "You are a jounin of Konoha, Moriko-san. You bow to no one," her told her seriously. The words weren't as straightforward as they seemed. "No one," he added again in case she hadn't felt the meaning behind them. She had a dark feeling settle over her as she thought of Shisui saying something very similar months ago. Something told her that Minato-sensei must know something that she didn't yet. Thoughts whirled, but it felt like he was warning her of something, something that was coming.

"Arigatou, Minato-sensei," she said.

"You taught my team the start of a very important lesson. I owe you a great debt. If you should ever need to collect…" he trailed off. She nodded seriously, grateful to be in the good graces of such an impressive shinobi.

This was the beginning of an important change of her life she knew. She just hoped she would be strong enough to live up to all that was expected, to earn her place in the village as a good shinobi and an even better comrade.

"Two weeks before your fourteenth birthday!" Genma shouted, as the rambunctious group made their way through the village. She laughed. Despite Minato's cryptic warning, she still was in a good mood, proud of herself finally. It felt like the first time in years that she could really, truly breathe. If it all came crashing down, then she'd deal with the rubble.

"Ramen," Genma declared, leading the group decidedly with his hands clasped behind his head, looking around sharply. He led them towards Ichiraku's, all chattering on enthusiastically about all sorts of things, from learning their newest jutsu, to training that day, to the last mission.

"You should have seen it, Raidou. Moriko and Kura were amazing. That big guy thought they were a couple lightweights. He had no idea who he was messing with. Moriko spun her fire jutsu in with Kura's revolving heaven. It was like an explosion went off. The ground around them was just decimated! It's a good thing I was under it."

"I thought Gai had done the same with Kura before," Ichiro grumbled.

"No, not like this. I'd never seen something like that. It was hell. After though…" he trailed off.

"After what?" Ichiro pushed. Everyone grew quiet at that. Those who had been present were lost in that moment, in that mission. Finally it was their platoon leader who spoke.

"Burning flesh," Moriko reminisced, completely devoid of emotion. "All you could smell was burning flesh."

"It's too bad that you missed that mission though. We fought some interesting shinobi," Matsu considered.

Moriko looked around, catching sight of Gai towards the back of the group. She waved the others on, waiting for him to catch up. He didn't notice her until she was standing right in front of him. "Gai-kun, it is not like you to be so distracted," she said. "You have been this way for days."

"I…" he frowned, unable to find the words.

"Gai, it is me," she said.

"Moriko, I don't think I can be your rival any longer!" he blurted out. She started, taking a small step back as if he'd struck her. She was confused, and she was slightly hurt as well. "I think you have grown as far as this rivalry shall allow. My rivalry is more needed elsewhere!"

"Where did this come from all of a sudden Gai?" she asked.

"I have been considering it for a long while, Moriko-chan," he said, cocking his head to the side. "We already believe in each other and ourselves to the utmost. A rivalry is meant to push us and while we will still continue to do so, it will do less good for us than it will do for others. While we shall always remain rivals, I believe there are people who require our friendly competition as guidance in these difficult times."

Moriko stared at him, considering for only a few moments before she understood. "Kakashi," she said.

"Ah. I am aware you do not like him, Moriko-san. I do not like what he has done in the past either, but I think it is important that we attempt to change that for his sake and for the village!" he exclaimed.

"Hatake Kakashi is many things Gai-kun, and I believe you are right in thinking that one of those is lost. I agree that this is an admirable thing you are doing. I ask one thing, however," she said. He nodded for her to continue. "While you may influence him, please do not allow what is not good in him to influence you. You are my best friend Maito Gai and I am terrified of losing you."

"I would never wish that," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Incredibly wise for his eleven years, he knew well enough to hug her in that moment and she hugged him back. Once she'd looked on him as a younger brother. Best friend… that seemed a fitting title now. It was dangerous thought because if she lost Gai…

"Moriko, are you two coming?" Kura called back to them. They had made it quite a ways up the road.

"Come on," she said, pulling away and squeezing his arm.

He grinned mischievously. "Race?" he asked.

"No flicker," she replied quickly.

"Three," he said.

"Two," she pitched in.

"ONE!" the both shouted, racing towards Ichiraku's at high speeds, blowing by their friends without hesitation.

"YOSH!" Gai's shout tore through the village.

".121 seconds too slow Gai! Yosh! This meal is on you!" she declared. He huffed, sending her a crushed expression, though he took out his wallet, slamming the money down not he counter. Neither mentioned the fact that it was his turn to pay. She'd bought last time.

"Moriko-san, Gai-kun!" the owner greeted exuberantly. They were frequent customers. Gai could eat an unbelievable amount of Ramen which was good business for him.

"Two of the usual, please," Moriko requested with a grin. "Gai will want three bowls. He's burned only sixty-seven percent of his usual calories, therefore the regular amount of five bowls will not be necessary. Once he meets that amount, its an exponential increase, due to his-"

"Wow, Moriko, I really think the old man doesn't care," Genma teased as he pushed aside the curtain. Moriko looked over her shoulder at him with a smile.

Raidou pushed Genma aside, claiming the seat on the other side of Moriko. Genma huffed. "What the hell Raidou!?" he demanded, clenching his fist. Kura bumped into him as well, giggling as his face reddened further in his anger. "Taicho, are you just going to allow that to happen? There is no respect in this squad!"

"They only do it because to help you work towards being able to maintain your bearing in the face of adversity," Moriko told him matter-of-factly while Gai slurped his already-finished ramen noisily.

"Itadakimasu," Moriko whispered softly, taking up her chopsticks delicately. She ate in a much more polite fashion then the friend to her left, for once enjoying hearing Genma's complaints as he went on and on about being disrespected. He sat on Gai's left, the others packed in beside him. She was a jounin now, which opened up the team to more dangerous and important missions. This may be one of the last times she got to hear this, this light-hearted squabbling. Even Ichiro was getting involved, good-naturedly for once.

"You are the one being quiet now," Raidou said keenly. Moriko glanced his way, tuning the others out. She and Gai's conversation faded as he became too lost in his ramen to notice anything.

"You know, eavesdropping is not an entirely admirable trait Raidou-san," she informed him, knowing he must have picked up her conversation with Gai before.

"A necessary one as a shinobi, especially if one wishes to fully understand one's jounin captain," he told her.

"Oh and what exactly have you gathered from my conversation with Gai?" she asked.

"I have gathered that you need a new rival," he said.

"Are you volunteering," Moriko grinned challengingly.

"Hardly," he rolled his eyes, snorting.

"So this information helps you how?" he asked.

"Just one piece of a large and complicated puzzle where the pieces seem to never wish to come together," he shrugged, bringing a piece of pork to his mouth and popping it in, eyes not leaving her the whole time.

"And why would you need to figure me out, Raidou-san?" she asked.

"You're very interesting, Taicho. You're a walking, talking contradiction really," he replied.

"Says the shinobi who proclaims to be completely against leading a team, but has devoted just as much time to his team as Gai has to his own, more perhaps," she replied.

"Just because one does not wish to do something, does not mean they have a right to try to avoid their fate," he said. She stiffened at that, not liking the way his words come out. Most thought that her being married off and bearing Uchiha children like a good little woman was her fate and that she was simply delaying the inevitable or shirking her duties by focusing on her quest to become a top shinobi. "Of course my village would come first before anything else: free time, family obligations, or personal preference," he added, probably not even realizing that he was saying exactly the right thing. "Sometimes prioritizing can be difficult though," he said.

"Ah," she nodded. They were the two oldest members of Team Moriko. He was a year and a half her senior. He was a solid chuunin, nothing special, but a good tactical shinobi. She trusted Gai to be her power hand and Raidou to be her strategical backup. They were the perfect opposites.

"Look, I may not be a part of a clan, but I am aware of your situation. It is no secret among our generation," he said.

"How would you-"

"Uchiha are very cocky. They believe that anything they say is too complicated for a simpleton such as some Namiashi to pick up," Raidou told her.

"So you eavesdrop on everyone?" Moriko clarified.

"Why do you think my specialty is reconnaissance?" he asked, only a small upturn of his lips giving his true humor away.

"I'm sure you'll be receiving your Special Chuunin soon then," she chuckled.

"Raidou is to be a SPECIAL CHUUNIN!?" Gai shouted, shaking the whole counter.

"It was a joke, Gai. Though it is my opinion that it will be so, it is not an actuality," Moriko assured him, patting his shoulder comfortingly.

"I must work ten times harder to ensure I make Special Chuunin before he does!" Gai declared. "I shall begin immediately!" With that he was gone. Kura and Matsu both sighed, looking longingly at their unfinished bowls of ramen.

"You two finish your bowls before you go to training," Moriko said in a sharp tone. They looked at her thankfully. She left her half-finished bowl there, standing.

"Moriko," Raidou stopped her with a hand on her arm. He was standing. He leaned so he could speak into her ear so the others would not hear. "You know the Hokage would not allow that to happen right? If they tell you you are going to be betrothed against your will, you can say no, you should say no." He straightened and she looked up at him for a moment before nodding determinedly. She was glad she had such an amazing platoon. She took a few steps backwards, waving to her other teammates before flickering away in a small flare.

"What were the two of you conspiring about in the corner?" Genma sulked.

"Shut up Genma," Raidou replied dryly. Genma glared sourly at his team leader.

Moriko knew heading to the Uchiha Complex that afternoon months following her promotion to jounin had been a bad idea, but for some reason, she'd thought it was important to speak with her uncle. He'd not requested her presence but was glad when she did arrive. She'd almost forgotten about it all, but of course it was the first thing out of his mouth. Her uncle was responsible for her and she knew she scared him a bit with the whispers spreading through the clan that she was not going to so easily walk into marriage with another member of her clan, but she could at least do this for him. It wouldn't kill her surely... but then... was there something else she could be doing?

"Another festival?" Moriko muttered to herself as she walked away from her uncle's home, her hands in her pockets, head down. She wondered if it was too late to get on another mission. Sure she'd only just returned. Fat chance of that though as she was seriously chakra-depleted and that wound to her right hip was still rather sore and had dressings that needed changing twice a day, but she could do something in the field couldn't she? With a sigh, she conceded that there was literally no way to escape her fate.

She smiled, remembering Kouichi reminding her once that it would only be six months until she no longer had to wear one of those uncomfortable kimonos. That was about six years ago though, six years since she'd made chuunin and over two since she'd become a jounin. So much had changed. She had changed, her team had changed.

Moriko looked around keenly as she entered the hospital. Searching for her 'medic,' she began to realize that Matsu was not in today. He had said he would be here. Moriko walked down the hallway with a frown, lifting her shirt and holding her hand to her bandaged abdomen. She pulled her hand out to see blood with tinge of yellow mixed. She cringed. No wonder she was starting to feel a bit ill, feverish perhaps. She placed her hand over the wound once more, hoping she could find a familiar medic soon. She looked up as a door opened. Katsuko stepped out. She closed the door softly behind herself and looked up. Moriko didn't move, locked in a stare with her former teammate, her former best friend.

"Katsu-chan," she said softly.

"Moriko," Katsuko replied. She'd been promoted since they'd last seen each other. Moriko had heard about it. She was a medical nurse now, advanced chuunin equivalent, quite an impressive accomplishment to be sure, especially with the interference Kouichi-sensei had likely run for years, trying to block her opportunities. He held grudges better than anyone Moriko knew.

"Who are you looking for?" Katsuko asked briskly, snapping out of their silent stare and looking down at her clipboard.

"Iwagami Matsu," Moriko spoke quietly.

"I sent him home for the day. You will find him at-"

"I know where he lives," Moriko replied, going to turn and head that direction, before Katsuko spoke.

"Stop!" she ordered. Moriko did, still half-facing her keen-eyed teammate. "I can smell that infection from ten meters away. Follow me immediately," she ordered. Moriko watched her turn and start walking briskly away. The Uchiha only stared after her.

"Ignoring the command of a Medical Nurse is a Priority One offense in Konoha. I don't care how important you are these days," Katsuko said, not even turning to look back at her. Moriko followed silently.

"How are you?" Moriko asked, actually interested. Katsuko hadn't spoken a word to her in years. She hadn't even seen the other girl since she'd made jounin. Her team had been so busy, as predicted of course. Gai was nearly a jounin now, so close to perfecting his taijutsu, already having mastered fire jutsu and his summoning jutsu. He was a force to be reckoned with. Kakashi was struggling to keep pace at times to be honest even with Obito's help, an eye followed by controversy throughout the village.

"Let's not pretend we care anymore. It's simply a whole lot of wasted effort really… don't you agree," Katsuko said briskly, opening a door and standing aside, waiting for Moriko to enter.

"You never understood, did you?" Moriko said, standing there, looking at the tall Nara girl.

"Are you going to go into the room or not?" Katsuko demanded.

"I always cared, Katsu-chan. I cared about you more than anyone," she said. "When you left that mission… I was so… it was like a piece of me was missing."

"Let's try to remember who left the mission," Katsuko said.

"You can't tell me you still truly believe that you were right?" Moriko said.

"Like you ever listened long enough to know what I believe," Katsuko scoffed, bitterly.

"When did you become so cold, Katsuko?" Moriko asked.

"Right about the time I realized just how pathetic you truly were," Katusko said. Moriko blinked, unaffected on the outside. "Oh, that didn't hurt? It doesn't hurt when I point out to you how absolutely repulsive your entire personality became to me, how I couldn't stand a moment in your presence any longer? Right, because it's not Team Four anymore. Who do you share your feelings with now? Is it that air-headed Hyuuga girl or just that idiot Gai? I'll wait for the rebuttal, after all they are your teammates. That is your nindo right? Make obnoxious, untrue statements about whoever gets stuck on your team?"

"My ninja way was always more than that. It is about believing there is more to someone even if you cannot see it. Your greatest fault, Katsuko, was always that you thought you knew everything about a person without ever giving them a chance. You knew everything about me. I am okay with you turning me away. You do not like me. It is the pain of knowing that you will never make a true friend because you don't give anyone a chance that truly strikes me," Moriko said, looking legitimately saddened. She shook her head, turning away from the spiteful girl. She would find her teammate. She wouldn't deal with Katsuko anymore. Katsuko was a part of Moriko's past and she should have remained as such.

"Was Ichiro a true friend then?" Katsuko taunted after her. "The way I hear it, he didn't even like you but he had to die for you didn't he? Whose next huh? Gai?" Moriko turned sharply and had Katsuko by the throat against a wall before she could even twitch a muscle to react.

"You speak that name to me…. EVER again, I will kill you! Ichiro was a good comrade, a good shinobi, and I would have gladly died in his place, but that was not fate's plan that day." Moriko winced as a jolt of electricity went through her from her hand straight to her wound, causing her to double over, but she jumped out of reach before Katsuko could get a knee to her face. She turned her back on the medical nin, for the first time in her life hoping she would never have to see Nara Katsuko again, but knowing that it was improbable.

She began feeling a bit dizzy once she reached the front of the hospital. She sat down at the first bench she found, hoping someone she knew walked by soon. She lit her hand with a green chakra, healing the wound as best she could. Most shinobi she knew well, the ones she would actually asked help from, avoided this place like their lives depended upon it.

She sighed, hoping her blurring vision would allow her to see whoever she knew that might help her. "Moriko-san!" she heard a voice and looked up to see Kakashi and Rin standing above her. She thanked her lucky stars. Kakashi of course was pretending he didn't even notice her while Rin stared at her with sincere concern.

"Rin-san, do you have the skills to heal an infection?" she asked.

"I've been improving," she admitted quietly. Rin crouched in front of her and she felt the girl push her hand aside, lifting up the edge of her shirt. She removed the bandage with a simple non-sticking jutsu.

"This is not good, Moriko-senpai," she said, leaning back so she could get a different angle at it.

"Can you heal it enough so I can make it to my own healer?" she asked.

"Matsu-san? Kakashi could carry-" Rin began, but her teammate was already walking away, having no interest in assisting them with anything.

"Come on, Moriko-senpai," Rin said with a small smile. "I may not be a big, strong taijutsu specialist, but I can get you five blocks. I'm not really all that good with infections," she admitted.

Moriko cringed at the pain of standing and then raising her arm to get it over Rin's shoulders. She was about Moriko's height now so it wasn't too much of a strain. Rin was becoming a great healer, but she was a line medic not a nurse after all. She wasn't expected to heal complicated infections, just piece together blast injuries and remove shuriken.

"I guess you got back from some important mission huh, Mori-san?" Rin asked as they walked, with a smile.

"A few nights ago," Moriko said.

"The wound's at least a week old judging by the progression of its healing. This infection will set it back a few days at least," Rin told her almost apologetically.

"I'll survive," Moriko said. "I just feel…" she closed her eyes for a moment as Rin continued to move forward. Her feet stumbled slightly, but she kept on them with the help of the medic nin.

When they reached the door, Rin raised her hand and knocked a couple times on the door. There was a shuffling inside and the sound of something being knocked over. When the door opened, his expression immediately became one of concern. "It's infected," Rin told him. He nodded, stepping forward and placing his hands on her waist, nodding to Rin. He positioned himself at her uninjured side and pulled her arm over his shoulder.

"Come on in," he welcomed Rin, who acquiesced, following him and his injured teammate in. "You've never treated an infection?" he asked Rin. She shook her head. "It's pretty simple really. You should know it. I'm not a medical ninja and I do."

"Moriko-niisan said you were her medic though," Rin frowned.

"We've been given a few medics over the years but they are in short supply and with Moriko and my combined medical abilities, we have no right trying to take one from a combat team without any medical experience," Matsu explained. "I spend time in the hospital and have picked up a lot of jutsu that way."

"You're on Team Gai right?" Rin asked.

"Ah, Gai-san and Kura-san are my teammates," Matsu nodded, laying Moriko on the couch, her injured side on the outside. He lifted her shirt to reveal her whole abdomen, removing the bandage with whimper from the patient. He then sat back on his knees performing a few hand symbols then holding his hands up in front of him.

"Sterilization jutsu," Rin whispered to herself as she watched. He performed the jutsu again, sterilizing the area around the wound. Some of the yellow-white goo disappeared, but it was still crusted on the edges of the sutured area.

"I'm going to have to take them out," Matsu said. "Rin will you collect my med bag from across the room?" he asked.

"I don't want any of that crap you gave me last time. Just, take care of it will you?" Moriko asked.

"It'll hurt like hell," he warned her.

"Well, I had the worst dreams after that stuff," she told him. He nodded. He'd heard her in some of her fits of nightmarish sleep. She stayed quiet enough, but one could only take so many whimpers, so many tears, not that he'd ever mention something like that especially in front of Rin, one of the least damaged of their age. She didn't need to know about those things. It was better to remain pure for as long as possible.

"Alright, so we sutured the wound. It isn't as deep as it looks, but it was laced which is why it has infected so much even with our frequent treatments. Would you like to remove the sutures?" he asked. Rin nodded, reaching confidently and taking the proper instruments, removing the sutures ignoring the cringes from the jounin who bore them. A medic always had to remember: they did what they had to do and it didn't hurt them only the patient.

Moriko closed her eyes, hardly listening as Matsu talked through how to debride the wound and if necessary remove the infected flesh with medical jutsu. He carefully separated the infection from the rest of her wound and sealed her back up, applying an ointment and covering the wound once more. Once it was over, she finally relaxed a bit, sighing. She'd broken out in a sheen of sweat. He packed up his med pack, putting it away.

"I'd better head out," the platoon leader said softly, placing her feet under her and rising slowly

"Moriko, want me to walk you over?" he asked.

"It's less than a block, Matsu-san. I think I will make it," she told him.

"Would you like to remain and learn a few more tricks?" Matsu asked Rin, who nodded eagerly.

"Wait, where are you going Moriko?" Rin asked

"I promised Gai-kun I would meet him at 1930," she replied.

"You are going to that Unity festival tomorrow night?" Rin asked, having heard about it from Kura.

"Required attendance," she replied simply before closing the door behind herself.

"Is she alright, Matsu-san?" Rin asked, her brow furrowed as she watched the door close behind the jounin. She didn't mean physically. Moriko had been more and more somber lately. Her smiles were few and far between and oftentimes she could be caught with eyes that looked beyond everyone and everything even while surrounded by her platoon-mates. She looked up at Matsu as he rose to his feet.

"Moriko has a strong will, an unyielding faith in herself and her teammates. She cannot be broken. Don't worry about her, Rin-san," Matsu said, with a warm half-smile. Rin nodded, a smile finding its way to her face.

"Arigatou, Matsu-san," Rin said. "You know, you're sounding more like Gai-san every day." Matsu smiled in response, rolling his eyes.

Gai was already meditating when Moriko arrived. She didn't bother knocking. Hardly did anymore. She walked in, removing her shoes and going to sit in front of him, crossing her legs and closing her eyes. She cleared her mind quickly, allowing thoughts to come and go easily, not holding onto any for too long, but more and more began to focus on her clan and she found her concentration wavering. Her chakra wavered too much and she didn't have enough of it to mess around with so she decided to attempt this again once she healed up a bit more. When she opened her eyes, she found Gai staring at her.

"Yes, Gai?"

"Your chakra is unsteady," he told her. "And very limited."

"Ah. I am quite distracted," she nodded, looking off to the side, trying to decide how to ask this. "Gai, have you ever been to a festival? A clan festival that is?" she questioned. She was careful to avoid eye contact.

"You know that I have not. I am not a member of a clan and I have never attended one of yours," he replied, cocking his head to the side. He obviously didn't understand why she was acting strangely. She didn't often ask questions she already knew the answers to, unless she was testing him.

"Would you like to see what it is like?" she asked.

"I am unsure," he admitted. "You do not speak highly of those gatherings."

"Right… I'm sorry for asking," she nodded.

"You are acting rather strangely, Moriko-san. Are you alright?" Gai asked.

"I'm… a bit tense at the moment," Moriko replied softly.

"What is bothering you?" he asked, raising a bushy eyebrow at her.

"It probably has something to do with Kouichi being gone for so long. He was meant to return two weeks ago," she commented.

"I'm sure this festival and your injuries have not helped with this apprehension," Gai nodded, standing. "YOSH! I have the perfect solution!" he declared, giving her a thumbs up. She looked up hopefully. "We shall spar until we can no longer stand and afterwards get a bowl of ramen on me!" he exclaimed. Moriko's head fell. Sometimes, she wished he was at least marginally less clueless sometimes.

"Gai, I have yet to recover from my wounds. In all honesty, it was difficult to walk ov-" she shook her head. "I think I'll head home," she said.

"I shall accompany you!" he exclaimed, but she raised her hand quickly shaking her head.

"It is no matter," she said. "Please, go to training. Do not hold back on my account."

"Are you certain!?" he asked. She nodded her head, trying to suppress a feeling of utter loneliness. For all Gai was he was still so young, completely hopeless at understanding when she just needed a friend rather than a sparring partner, rather than a teammate. It was probably her encounter with Katsuko that was making her feel this way, but she couldn't help it. There was a hole inside her that not even Gai could fill it seemed. She rose, walking slowly to the door. A part of her wanted to keep searching, to go from house to house until she found someone who understood, someone who cared enough to see what was going on. Gai loved her with his whole heart, but he didn't understand her.

She didn't have the energy though so she headed straight for home, dragging her feet along the way. She walked by the light of lamps following the now-deserted main street that every day held the hustle and bustle of Konoha's still-booming economy. Sure the war was interfering, but Konoha's economy thrived all the same. She nodded to a whirlpool shinobi as he rushed past, barely slowing to give her a wave. She vaguely recognized him, a nice man if she remembered correctly, Special Chuunin, a great messenger nin for high-ranking missions.

She watched ahead as Raidou walked out of a bar and considered calling out to him for a moment just to have the company, but she stopped herself, unsure why she felt like she deserved this… this loneliness. Raidou sniffed the air though and then slowed to a stop, turning. She stayed still as he walked towards her. "Moriko-taicho, freshly-applied ointment?" he asked, looking at her abdomen. "I assume it is not healing well."

"It is causing some trouble Raidou-san, but that is nothing I cannot handle," she replied, raising her hand to cover the wound site self-consciously. It was rare for her to be out of uniform, but she'd been dressed the last three days in a dark blue spandex top and dark blue skirt, both bearing the Uchiha Crest of course. It was easier to deal with her wounds that way. She'd taken a kunai to the right leg as well, that one not laced of course, but still painful. If not for the deep bruise on the back of her left thigh, she'd be favoring the other leg greatly.

"Come on then," he beckoned. To her great surprise he held out his arm, rather than offer to carry her as Gai would. She accepted it gratefully. "Where were you headed?" he asked, looking down at her, his brown hair falling over hit hitai-ate. He had a kind face, always had and it was one of his useful traits. He could be deadly, but he could also be diplomatic. People found him trustworthy, which he was towards his allies. He was loyal beyond belief sometimes. The eldest member of their team, he was soon bound for jounin and might be replaced on their team unless the Hokage simply decided to reallocate resources and break up the entire platoon and integrate them in new squads, new positions. It was only a matter of time really. They'd been going for over two years strong now and two years of war was like a lifetime.

"Thank you, Raidou-san," she said, taking his arm. He nodded, looking down at her.

"I was headed home, but I'm not sure I…" Her eyes closed as she let out a soft sigh.

"A walk then?" he suggested. "It is a good night for it," he considered, looking up at the bright three-quarter moon. She nodded.

"Ah, it is," she agreed.

"You have seemed troubled, Moriko. If you ever need to get any of it off your plate, I hope you know that I am always willing to hear you," Raidou told her. She leaned on him heavily and though she had spent years doing so it seemed so funny that it was in such a literal sense now. "You'd be surprised what I already know," he added with a crooked smile. She glanced at him, snorting and then rolling her eyes.

"After all the time I've known you, you knowing any kind of information could never again surprise me. The things you hear are many," she shook her head.

"Your counsel is moving closer to a betrothal for you to Uchiha Shisui. They've nearly fought their way past the Hokage. You believe that this festival is when such a thing will be announced," Raidou told her.

"Oh not only do you hear things now, you read minds too," she muttered.

"I make intuitive leaps, Mori-san. I don't claim to be telepathic," he told her. She looked up at his expression and laughed. He was so good at retaining that completely serious, yet slightly-goofy countenance.

"Well, let's make another intuitive leap and say that perhaps I do not wish to accept," she whispered under her breath. She knew he would hear it of course, but any Uchiha spies monitoring the village would not. "Hypothetically of course."

"You would be breaking a clan law, a law that could put you in a lot of danger in such a crowd," he said. "It would put you in a very difficult position at an Uchiha Festival, alone. As your comrade, I cannot in good conscience allow you to go alone then, can I? I'll have to accompany you," he said. She felt a wave of relief rush through her, but she was careful not to give anything away.

"I guess you're probably right. I hadn't thought of that," she said.

"Liar," he replied. "You love your statistics so I'll indulge you and make an estimation of eighty-five percent that you have already asked Him or at least attempted to do so."

"Eighty-five huh?" she asked teasingly. "Did you take into account all of the variables. Even from outside myself in a completely objective fashion, I would estimate that percentage at least seven points higher."

"Yes well people who don't have a full understanding of how you see Gai so normally are bound to make errors when attempting to work out what goes on in that head of yours," he said.

"Gai is a great comrade," she said.

"Gai is a child," he disputed in a sharp tone, but without malice. Before she could open her mouth, he interrupted. "He is a shinobi, an amazing, impressive shinobi, but no matter how many battles he's faced, he is still a child, Mori-san. You know me and you know that I would not insult a comrade and I am not. I am stating a fact, one that it seems is difficult for you."

"I grew up with him," she said.

"He grew up with you, but he hasn't quite made it there, Moriko. He's only 13. You can't expect too much of him. I'm sure you've heard it before, again and again, but it's something that I believe you need to hear from a close comrade for you to truly accept," Raidou said.

"I have done my best," Moriko said.

"Stop taking his kills," Raidou told her. "You have to stop stepping in for him… for the others… and for me," he finished, looking down at her injured side. She closed her eyes, flashes of those harsh seconds hitting her before she could block them.

"If I recall, I was returning the favor from our first mission as a platoon," she said softly, raising her hand to cover the wound and getting lost in the memory.

They had been coming too fast. She needed time, but there wasn't any. They were better than them, stronger and faster, even than she and Raidou. She remembered throwing him backwards and turning in time to catch the projectiles, one searing her like fire in her stomach and the other burying in her leg, sliding in like a hot knife through soft butter.

Taking the wounds had given her the time to form the signs to stop that shinobi permanently in his tracks, but they had almost killed her too. She remembered vividly, looking down at her hands afterwards, her hands that were clasped over her stomach, around a kunai handle, blood pouring through them. She had felt the searing-hot pain in that instant, should have expected it, but it was a surreal type of moment.

"I will not hesitate to knock you out in battle myself if you do something like that again," he told her, earnestly. She looked up at the lake as they arrived at it. He walked her down the pier silently and they both sat on the edge. She tried not to wince in pain as she sat, not needing more fuel for that fire.

"I don't know what I'm going to do, Raidou-kun," she said in a small voice, afraid to even look at the young man she had fought beside for years now, someone she trusted with her life and more importantly someone she trusted with Gai's… a feat achieved by few.

"You're going to fight, Moriko-chan," he responded in kind. "This village needs you, I need you. You have to keep fighting no matter what," he told her.

"Don't you ever get tired?" she asked. He looked at her, finding it strange that it was coming from her, but she wasn't talking a physical kind of tired. She could handle training at 87 percent for 75 hours and 43 minutes straight through. He knew because those were the latest numbers she'd supplied. Considering that for a few moments, Raidou decided that the truth was the best route here.

"I haven't had real rest since Ichiro's death," he said. "I sleep, but I feel as if I will never get back to that point where I will be strong again, where I will be able to fight without his ghost hovering over me, accusing, judgmental, demanding to know why I am still alive, why he had to die."

Moriko didn't offer words of comfort. She was plagued by the same thoughts. She'd been in that jutsu too, trapped, but Ichiro had taken that sword in exchange for slitting that Iwa shinobi's throat and saving Moriko, Raidou, and Genma. They could only watch on helplessly. She wiped a stray tear away, kicking her feet over the surface of the water, her sandals disturbing the liquid, sending ripples outward, reminding her of that night with Shisui. Obito…

"Sometimes I wish I could just reach out across continents, through the afterlife, and just tear those I care about back to me and not let go," she said.

"Shinobi die. It is what we do while we're here that truly makes a difference. It is the people we save, those we train, and those we fight with that matters. Our legacy is in those we left behind. Our legacy is each other," he said.

"I like that," she decided after a few moments of thought. She felt his hand on her arm and looked down startled. He moved it aside, lighting his hand up clumsily with a green chakra and placing it over the wounded side of her abdomen.

"Arigatou," she said.

"It seems slightly perverted for you to be thanking me when you took this wound in my place," he pointed out.

Moriko shrugged. "Perhaps I am a bit of a pervert then," she conceded. Raidou chuckled.

"A pervert who has a meeting with the hokage early in the morning," he told her, standing. He held out his hand.

"You little Know-it-All," she sighed, taking his hand. He pulled her to her feet and stood facing her for a moment, a contemplative look on his handsome face. She felt suddenly very nervous. He only smiled though, leaning forward and kissing her chastely on her forehead. Then he took her hand placing it in the crook of his arm. She couldn't help but touch her forehead with her free hand, wondering why he'd done that. She smiled to herself, blushing a bit.

The walk back to her home was long, but quiet. Moriko didn't mind though. It had been a long and taxing day. He stopped at her door, stepping back. "Get some sleep, taicho," he said, turning away. She caught his wrist though, holding him still for a moment, confused at what her aim had been, but confidently stepping forward after a moment and wrapping her arm around him, just the one on the uninjured side. Moving the other one stretched her injured side too much. He didn't hesitate in returning the embrace. It was brief, but it was important somehow.

"Thank you, Raidou," she said.

"Thank you, Moriko," he replied smiling before he turned, walking away with a small glance back at her.

She walked into her house feeling… lighter somehow. Making it to her bed was her first and only goal and once that was accomplished, she allowed herself to sleep, pushing away all morbid thoughts and overwhelming concerns. She needed to relax, something she knew and Raidou's words had made it even more clear to her.

A little Mori/Rai love! DON'T WORRY... well don't worry too much. Gai/Moriko is quickly on its way. As soon as next (already edited) chapter even. Give me a review or two and I'll post it ASAP! ;)


	7. Chapter 7

A Tale of Love and Loss

Maito Gai/Original Character

Disclaimer: The fandom is Naruto and it of course does not belong to me along with many of the characters portrayed. I will do my best to remain true to the characters.

Chapter: A Choice is Made

The next evening was spent under the poking and prodding of her nearest aunt who was convinced she would be able to make her look like a princess despite her uniform. In the end Moriko brushed a majority of the make-up off, taken up her full shinobi uniform, and replaced the sword her aunt said would make her appear indelicate. She didn't even need to tell Raidou what time the festival was. He knew of course and appeared at her doorstep exactly in time, his outfit almost entirely the same as every day, though it did appear he was wearing a cleaned and pressed set.

"Raidou-san," she smiled upon seeing him. He stepped forward, holding a small blood-red rose in his hand. He brushed her long hair aside. It was completely down for once, straight and simple, despite her aunts most valiant attempts to curl it. He tucked it behind her ear and tucked the rose in with it. She blushed, "Thank you."

"It is nothing," he shrugged. "They are your favorites after all." She didn't correct him. Her favorite flower was a white lotus. He probably thought that they were tainted by now as she left a white lotus on the body of her victims, a statement that said clearly that it had been a Konoha kill, a kill by the Red Lotus as she was becoming more and more well known.

They walked towards the clan leader's home. The festival was to take place at the Uchiha park just beyond. As they arrived, she began to notice a theme one not unfamiliar to her and it was not kunoichi in uniform. Nearly every male was dressed in attire very much alike her her own, though most wore looser shirts and pants. They were not taijutsu users for the most part after all. Uchiha were known for their genius genjutsu.

"Minato-sensei!" Raidou greeted, surprised that the first person they should encounter would be a shinobi who had been on mission last he'd heard. Rin was with him as well, Kakashi following behind her. "What is an important village jounin doing at a festival?" he asked.

"Being important of course," Minato said with a wink and a charming smile. He was a very handsome important village jounin, especially when decked out in his impressive Sage Robes.

"There are a lot of jounin here actually, more than I had thought were still in the village," Raidou began to realize, looking around.

Minato's lip twitched upwards. "We get an invitation every year to come to this. I've never been able to actually attend. A bit well-to-do isn't it?" Minato observed, looking over the number of kimono-wearing women, very attractive women who were quickly drawn to the village jounin.

Moriko masked her smile, by sipping her sake. There was a reason eligible male shinobi were invited to these sorts of things. With the mortality rate so high in a shinobi village, it was necessary to look outside the clan if and only if one could not find a proper Uchiha male. Only high level, powerful shinobi were invited though and only the unattached civilian Uchiha were available for their courting. It was about improving the gene pool or strengthening connections. Village kunoichi did not have the luxury of being quite as selective as the civilian women. They were expected to look into the clan if they made it near chuunin. An exception would be made of course in cases such as the great Namikaze Minato but Moriko knew very well that nothing would ever draw his attention away from the beautiful red-haired kunoichi he followed after so diligently.

"Truly the main reason I came was to ask how you were doing," Minato admitted to Moriko, glancing down at her midsection. Though her jacket was zipped up as high as it would go and she was back in full uniform which kept her legs fully covered, she still felt as if everyone could see her wounds.

"I am well, Minato-sensei. You know you don't have to keep checking up on me, don't you?" she asked.

"He does actually, swore to Kouichi-sensei to keep an eye on you," Raidou informed her. She rolled her eyes in irritation at him. Did he really have to know absolutely everything that went on in this village?

"Really sensei?" Rin asked, her beautiful eyes wide with curiosity.

"It is a shinobi's job to monitor his or her comrades, Rin. You know that. As a fellow Jounin Captain it is my duty and even Moriko-san sometimes needs someone looking out for her, though I know she is not lacking in that department," he added, looking pointedly at Raidou. Rin smiled, walking forward as Minato was drawn away as he met Uchiha Fugaku's gaze. She bowed to Moriko with a smile, moving to stand next to her and look around.

"You look very pretty Moriko," Rin said. She was dressed in her shinobi garb as well, though her top was a bit fancier with a stitching of sakura blossoms across the fabric.

"Thank you," Moriko said. "I have many aunts with many ideas as to how I should look. I had to pry my sword from the fingers of a 60-year-old woman to be able to carry it." Rin laughed, but her humor gave way to somberness after a few moments

"Last time I was at one of these was with Obito," she said softly, looking around sadly. Moriko nodded, a frown on her face.

"I remember. He bribed you correct?" she asked. Rin laughed and nodded.

"He took my share of all the D rank missions for a week," she said. Kakashi stood silently next to Rin, meeting the nasty glares from the surrounding Uchiha with a careless, blank stare from his one coal grey eye.

"We're going to go get something to drink. Would you like anything?" Rin asked. Both Raidou and Moriko declined and Kakashi and Rin left on their own.

"Do you often have such conversations with Minato-sensei?" Raidou asked.

"More often than I realized actually," she said, finding him again in the crowd, watching as the sensei took up a conversation with the clan leader across the way.

"You should be honored," he told her. She nodded in agreement. "Apparently Kouichi-sensei really cares about you, to ask such an important shinobi to look after you in his absence."

"I guess you're right," Moriko said softly. Her sensei was very dear to her and she hated how often he was gone. One would think she would grow accustomed to it after all these years, but for some reason it had really bothered her more the last couple years than it had when she'd been a genin.

"Uchiha Moriko!" came a loud voice. They both turned to see Kaminaga Kin walking quickly towards them, a broad grin on her face. Moriko barely had time to gain her bearings before Kin plowed into her in a fierce embrace. "I have not seen you for months my friend!" Kin exclaimed.

"Kin-san!" she said, disguising the pain in her voice well.

"I'll leave you two to it. Ryuu-san," Raidou said, greeting the other shinobi. Ryuu kissed Kin on the cheek when she finally released Moriko before he followed Raidou towards the sake.

"You are well?" she asked, her bright blue eyes glittering happily. Moriko nodded.

"I got to pay it forward my last mission, Moriko-san. I pulled Ibiki out of the clutches of a Kumo interrogator just like you did me once," she told her in an excited, but quiet tone. Such missions were the highest of top secret, jounin material only.

"I had not known he'd been taken," Moriko murmured, troubled.

"Ah, but he is holding up. He's in the hospital under Nara Katsuko. She's a medical prodigy," Kin said, obviously trying to be helpful, but the name immediately made Moriko uncomfortable. "We could go see him tonight, if you'd like."

"I would like that," Moriko nodded, almost surprised to be able to say that completely and utterly in earnest. She hadn't seen Kin in a long time. The woman was almost five years her senior, but she was similar in temperament and was enjoyable company.

"Would you look at them?" Kin murmured, her blue eyes tracking across the crowd. "A bunch of egotistical morons." Moriko snorted. "Well, they are you know, especially the females… no offense," she added with a teasing glance to Moriko.

"Still running into trouble with the clan females?"

"When they stop trying to sway Ryuu to black eyes and pale faces every time I turn my back, we will no longer have trouble," Kin said. "You're lucky, Moriko."

"How so?"

"Stealing a male from the Uchiha is difficult, but seeking them elsewhere is much cleaner," Kin pointedly looked towards Raidou, though her eyes were quickly drawn to Ryuu.

"That's not… I mean Raidou-san isn't…" Moriko stumbled over her words, her face reddening. "Raidou-san is my teammate," she stated flatly.

"That's what I thought about Ryuu-san. They grow on you though… teammates," Kin said with a smirk. Moriko was silent a moment, her mind wandering to a different teammate before she looked over to Raidou who was making what appeared to be a calm, competent conversation with her cousin. Was this it? Was he what she wanted: a normal, steady shinobi? The thought saddened her almost. She wanted excitement, unpredictable predictability.

"Perhaps not Miss in-another-world," Kin teased. Moriko looked to her, focusing sharply. "Where'd you go off to?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Moriko lied, pushing away those thoughts. She frowned when she saw Shisui across the fountain. He was staring at them, more specifically at her.

"Ugh, what's his problem? Are all Uchiha the same? They brood and they brood, staring at you from dark corners," Kin shook her head. Shisui met Moriko's eyes and she caught her breath, averting her eyes from the handsome young Uchiha quickly.

"You know Shisui?" Kin asked, watching her face closely as it reddened.

"I know everyone here. The festival is put on by my family," Moriko said evasively.

"You know Shisui more than that," Kin told her flatly.

"I believe he is the one who they will have me marry," Moriko said very slowly. Kin looked Shisui's direction, then at Moriko, then back to Shisui once more.

"Together you would make strong shinobi," Kin said with a frown. "Do you care for him?"

"He is selfish and arrogant," she replied.

"That does not answer the question," Kin said.

"I do not feel comfortable speaking about this in the present company," Moriko said with a meaningful look over Kin's shoulder. Kin turned slightly, waiting a few moments before glancing discreetly in the direction she had indicated. A chuunin-level shinobi was paying rather close attention to them, though he seemed to think he hid it well.

"So let us leave here," Kin suggested.

"I have been instructed to attend. I cannot leave until I have been here the proper amount of-" she stopped, wincing and closing her eyes tightly. She raised her hand to her right side, taking a small step back a sharp pain shot through her. She attempted to recover quickly, but the pain was unrelenting. Raidou was next to her in a few moments, leading her to a table to be seated. He placed his hand to her side, performing a simple healing jutsu.

"The poison?" he asked.

"Apparently Matsu didn't get it all as he'd thought," she said.

"I will have words with him later," he said, darkly.

"He's not even a medic technically Raidou," she told him.

"He should not perform the jutsu if he isn't going to perform it correctly," Raidou muttered.

"It's an impressive jutsu to even attempt," Kin said, sitting next to the black-haired teenager. "How old is the wound?"

"About a week now," Raidou told her. Kin turned so none could see her hands except Raidou and Moriko. Some shinobi were sensitive about Uchiha picking up their every last trick. She performed a few hand symbols, closing her eyes and drawing a deep breath. Moriko shouted in pain.

"He also missed this," Kin said. She lifted Moriko's shirt, peeling the bandage aside a bit. She closed her eyes and after a few painful moments for Moriko, she took hold of a small piece of metal. It looked like a soldier pill.

"Time release capsule, Suna's style," she said, narrowing her eyes at the small pill and releasing it. It remained suspended in the air and after a moment it collapsed in on itself, a sticky purple liquid dripping from it, falling to the ground.

"Maximum suffering despite lack of lethality," Kin said, staring at the tangled mass of metal, now no bigger than a grain of rice. She let it fall to the ground, kicking dirt over it.

"You should start feeling better in a few hours," Kin told her.

"Thank you senpai," Moriko said.

"Now, let me see if I can't find where Ryuu snuck off to," Kin said. Moriko nodded, watching her leave.

"Many words," Raidou said, thinking of the chewing-out he was planning on giving Matsu later on. Moriko didn't try to talk him out of it again. Once Raidou had his mind set on something, it happened. It was no use arguing because they both know she wouldn't order him not to do it. She didn't micromanage her team leaders. She'd learned that from Kouichi who pretty much gave her free reign with Gai and Katsuko once she became a chuunin.

Moriko closed her eyes, drawing a deep breath. Peace was a rare thing in the middle of this war. How Uchiha managed to put on these festivals in the chaos was beyond her, but the sense of safety it brought… that they could do this… it was warming. That they could relax and enjoy a few hours of their day. She and Raidou sipped sake, speaking with each other for hours, their conversation going on throughout the night with a few interruptions for the numerous clan members who came to speak with them. There weren't many because even now Moriko was shunned though it was less for her lowly position and her sex now. It was because she was successful, because she was wrong to be as good as the others, as strong and as fast as them.

It didn't take long for their conversations to take them to strategies and tactics. It hardly ever did. They discussed the situation on the line between the River Country and the Wind Country. Their last assignment on the front had been hell and everyone knew that that border was becoming too hot too fast. They had to do something and though the top village Special Jounin were working on it the line jounin and the Special Chuunin... they were all feeling the pressure that the lack of a solid successful strategy was putting upon them. They were breaking out there, Moriko knew it, Raidou knew it, and the troops trying to hold the ground out there knew it.

Moriko had held her breath the entire time their clan leader addressed the assembled Uchiha and their comrades, but not one word had been spoken about her or to her. She and Raidou left the gardens in one piece, though their topic had significantly soured their moods. They agreed on a walk around the village perimeters. It never hurt to provide extra security and it allowed a bit of privacy as well. Twenty meters from the village wall they walked, shadowed from the moon by trees. They were silent for a long while even their steps hardly leaving a sound to be noticed.

Moriko felt a slight movement of chakra from under her right arm. She lifted it with a sigh. "Ren-chan," she said, pulling to a halt. Raidou turned to wait for her, eyes dropping to the tiny tortoise as it crawled into view with a sheepish look. Moriko held her out in her palm. "Go back to Gai-kun. Tell him thank you for the concern, but I do not need his protection all the time," Moriko said.

"He is only training Mori-chan," she said.

"Ask Gai why he would not attempt this upon his eternal rival Kakashi-san. Does he feel his ability too inadequate to best the great Kakashi?" she said, knowing exactly the words to get Gai going.

"I do not wish to tell him that," Ren admitted her tiny voice hesitant, knowing that she'd be working four times as hard to satisfy Gai's need to remedy such a situation.

"And yet as my friend, that is exactly what you shall do," Moriko told her.

"Hai Mori-chan," Ren said regrettably before disappearing in a tiny puff of smoke.

"Are you trying to wake up the entire village?" Raidou asked. She looked up smiling slightly at his teasing grin, but there was a sadness in her eyes. "Gai misses a lot," he added, taking in the tired lines of her face. "Like how beautiful you have become." Her face flamed red and she lowered it, turning it slightly away from him and starting to walk. Raidou continued along beside her. "And how you would do anything or give anything for him," Raidou added. She swallowed hard.

"I would give my last breath for any member of my team," Moriko said, her voice slightly hoarse.

"Yet there is only one of us who you would actually live for," Raidou whispered. She pretended not to hear him, though the words struck her deeply. She raised her hand to cover the green necklace hanging around her throat. Upon the end was a small wooden lotus flower, about half the size of her palm, perfectly carved with a small kanji painted inside: "Eternal". She drew a deep, calming breath, trying not to show how affected she was by his statement. She felt a hand on her arm, Raidou pulling her to a halt. She kept her head bowed until Raidou took it upon himself to take hold of her chin raising it with a frown.

"Your clan will figure it out Moriko, and when they do he will be in danger. The Uchiha are not above assassinations within their own village. You were born into a selfish, cruel, and exacting clan. I do not feel any remorse in saying that because it is the absolute truth," he followed his statement with quickly before she could object.

"Why are you saying this," she demanded, pulling her face from his grasp sharply and taking a few steps back, turning away to look out into the darkness of the forest surrounding Konohagakure.

"Because I need to know that my captain, that my friend understands what might happen to her most important person should she-"

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING RAIDOU!" she shouted, turning on him, her red eyes blazing as she looked upon on her subordinate.

"I know that he is neither emotionally or physically ready to protect you from them," Raidou said.

"I don't need anyone's protection, not Shisui's, not Gai's, and not yours. I am a Jounin Kunoichi of Konohagakure. I'm known across the shinobi world!" she snapped, heaving with rage.

"The Red Lotus is known worldwide, but that name means nothing to your clan. **You** mean nothing to them and as hard as you try you never will," Raidou growled. She reeled back as if struck. Those were the words she knew in her heart, but had never dared say aloud as if it would make it real, as if it would make it final. Her black eyes blurred with tears, but she fought them, not wanting to cry, not wanting to show weakness. Only Gai… only Gai could see. Not even Raidou, Kouichi, or Kura… never again. She had promised herself after her breakdown when Obito had been taken from her.

"Why are you saying this?" she asked, using her best shinobi voice, cold and detached, hard like a stone.

"Because you need to hear it. You need to understand what your life is going to be when you choose him, and I know you will choose him. We've all known that… I have for years… since that mission in Kusa," Raidou spoke slowly, sliding his hands into his pockets. "If you aren't ready, I lose two important comrades and I will not accept that. Do not be stupid about this Moriko. We are in a war."

Moriko shook her head, turning quickly and walking away from him, away from her friend, her teammate. She couldn't do it anymore, keep it all inside. Tears streamed down her face as she walked and she performed a transportation jutsu to Gai's apartment, inside his living room. As expected he was off training, probably tracking down Kakashi. She knew her comment to Ren would get him riled up. She walked into his room slowly, looking over at his windowsill. A picture of them smiled back at her: Gai giving a thumbs up and she winking, both looking tired and beaten up, but satisfied. She walked to the picture, lifting it from the surface and looking at it for a few moments, ignoring the tears that dropped onto the glass.

She could still remember him from before with those long sleeves and pants, how he would trip over his own feet constantly, holding them back on every mission despite her attempts to make his deficiencies invisible to their sensei. She remembered how unsure he'd been before, his lack of confidence so pathetic and frustrating to build bit by bit. He'd been a mess as a shinobi, not even worthy of the rank of genin if it weren't for his proficiency with the summoning jutsu. Now he was feared throughout the border, respected in the village for his abilities, for proving time and time again that he was more powerful than any others his age except perhaps Kakashi. Though if anyone could defeat Kakashi, Moriko had to admit it would probably be her Gai-kun.

She looked over at the nightstand by his bed where a more recent picture of she, Raidou, and Gai was placed. They sat on a bench near the memorial stone all three in black. It had been after losing Ichiro. He had been holding her hand then, her head resting on his shoulder. She sat the photo down, walking quickly from the room to the living room. She looked at the door, but the thought of returning to the Uchiha Complex was nauseating after the discussion just had or rather after the chewing out she'd received.

She sat on the couch where she'd spent almost as many nights as in her own home since becoming jounin, more perhaps. The tears fell in steady streams down her face. She laid down, staring out into the darkness of the quiet room. She was so tired, yet sleep wasn't bound to come easily. She felt a small creature crawl from her weapons pouch and didn't even move. "Kohaku," she greeted the tortoise. He'd revealed his familiar chakra signature just before moving.

"I am sorry for your tears Mori-chan," he said, his reddish-orange shell looking brown in the fading moonlight. His grey eyes met hers after a moment. He was about the size of her small fist. It was impressive Gai had been able to plant him without her knowledge. She didn't bother trying to figure out when he'd done it. She was too tired.

"Please don't-"

"I do not tell everything to Gai-kun," he replied sharply. He pulled out two small swords from under his shell walking up over her side, to her shoulder and jumping to the armrest of the couch. "I will guard your position until Gai-kun's return, taicho!" he declared.

"There's no need for that Kohaku-san," she told him.

"Gai's captain is my captain and a warrior protects his leader with his life," Kohaku declared. Moriko buried her face into the worn cushion.

"Arigatou," she murmured in a muffled voice.

"You are a great shinobi Moriko-san," Kohaku said. "It has always been an honor to serve beside you. You trained our Gai-kun well." Moriko said nothing more, continuing to let her tears soak the cushion silently. Her chest ached. She had been able to force her eyes to deactivate, but she still fought her emotions. She wondered if she'd ever be able to control them. The presence of Gai's familiar was comforting her just enough to allow her to relax into a somewhat settled sleep.

Little did Moriko know, it would not have been necessary for Kohaku to abandon her trust in such a way. As she lay in his living room, Gai stood above on the rooftop, looking down at where he could feel her familiar signature, wishing he knew what to do. Usually when he was lost as a child he had remained so, his parents gone from such a young age and before too lost in the war to realize how lost their son was. When he'd finally been given a team, it had been Moriko who had answered all his questions, who had guided him and he'd grown to care for her in a way different than he ever had another person. He admired her more than anyone, because she took the time to care and she cared so much about so many with almost nothing in return.

He sat down slowly upon the roof, contemplating all he'd seen and all he'd heard in such a short span of time that it was almost difficult to process all of it. Raidou had always underestimating him. Even when Raidou thought he was not doing so, he was still because Raidou did not know all that Gai could do. Not even Moriko knew all just as he was sure he didn't know all of her greatest gifts. He could never imagine that he meant as much to her as he did. He knew he was her most important person, but how important he was… Raidou made it clear and Moriko had not contested. Gai slowly sat down, closing his eyes and allowing himself to meditate on the issue. He was usually quick to deny being unprepared for something, but Moriko… she was worth every last breath he had to offer.

He had to be sure though, sure that these feelings inside him were not transient, were not changeable because one thing Kouichi-sensei had been able to teach him in their limited time together was that certainty was not something to be gained in a moments reaction unless the situation required it. If there was something very important, it demanded reflection and a degree of contemplation before a stance was truly taken. He rarely used this technique as he was so fond of living in the moment, but just this once, Gai felt that Kouichi-sensei may have known this would be a problem he would face.

After barely minutes of truly concentrating, Gai knew that there was nothing else he could do. His heart told him where he was meant to be and it was by Moriko's side until the cold reality of their world tore them apart. He would not let her down, he would be anything and everything she needed from him even if it meant keeping an eye on his back to avoid angry Uchiha. She would need time. Of that he was sure. He could use as much as he could get to become stronger because he had to protect her, he had to protect his most important person.

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"Your platoons grow stronger by the day. I daresay they have both grown in your absence," the hokage said, looking between Moriko and Ibiki. The scroll between them was a bit dirty but little worse for the wear. Ibiki had a few scratches and Moriko a raised bruise to the side of her forehead, but altogether the two did astonishingly well for the mission's anticipated obstacles. Luckily it had not been as difficult as predicted. Sometimes it worked that way, though it was much more noticeable when the opposite happened.

"Maito Gai has shown exponential improvement, which is surprising as the rate he was already growing was remarkable in its own right," the hokage said.

"Gai-kun is a credit to our platoon. He is a genius of hard work," Moriko said.

"Anything you can tell me about his reaction to not being assigned your partner for this latest mission?" the hokage asked, nonchalantly. "Anger towards ones kage is hardly acceptable in most circles." Moriko's face flamed in embarrassment and irritation. Gai hardly ever stepped out of line except within the confines of his eccentric and positive attitude. Sometimes Genma or Roru who'd become a fairly-steady member of their team and on rare occasions Kura, but never Gai.

"I will see to-"

"No, no, Moriko," the hokage said. "He is very unreasonable at times your comrade, but he does not in any way strike me as disloyal rather the contrary. Perhaps it is time however for him to have a platoon of his own?"

"Maito?!" Ibiki said loudly out of instinct. Moriko found herself stunned for a moment as well. Everyone thought Raidou would be the first to leave her, including herself. He was more the strategist while Gai was more the heart of the team. She had no doubt he would make an excellent platoon leader but something in her hesitated to say as such, only for a moment however. As much as she would hate being separated from Gai she knew their platoon was not likely to remain intact much longer.

"Gai would make an exceptional platoon leader Hokage-sama. I would follow him into any battle and I don't doubt that once given the proper time beside him, any shinobi in Konoha would be able to see that he will one day become the strongest shinobi in the village, surpassing even the best jounin we have," she proclaimed, her face dead serious while Ibiki openly gawked at her.

"Yes…" the hokage agreed with a contemplative expression.

"Continue as you are, I will think more on this," he instructed. "Ibiki, before you get some well-deserved rest, please see to it that your platoon medic reports to Gate 1 for a simple C-rank messenger mission. I am short-handed on messengers."

"Hai," Ibiki nodded.

"Thank you for this. You're both dismissed," he said, waving the scroll. The two both stood, bowing and backing away before turning and leaving the room.

Moriko was surprised at the Hokage's idea of making Gai a platoon-leader. She could hardly think what she'd do were she to see him less. As it was, she had to limit her time with him outside of training as the eyes of the Uchiha had increased ten-fold in the last couple of months which of course lead to more training by them both. She wondered what Gai had done to catch the hokage's particular attention since she'd left on mission. She'd been gone a couple of weeks but he couldn't have changed that dramatically… could he?

Moriko reached into her weapons pouch, retrieving Rin and holding her on her palm. "Gai-kun?" Ren asked. Moriko nodded. Ren closed her eyes for a few moments before jerking her head in the direction of her shinobi companion.

"Thank you Ren-chan. Please get some rest," Moriko said. Ren disappeared with a smile in a small poof. Moriko masked her chakra and proceeded at a regular civilian speed. She made her way through the bustling streets wondering at how little they'd seen, how little they knew of the horrors of the war outside the safety of this village.

Fresh in her mind, Moriko recalled the last fight, a fight with a pair of shinobi who had not been strong enough to even hope to beat them. They had known from the start, but they had fought and Moriko and Ibiki had held back enough to allow them some semblance of a last stand. When they'd spent their last effort, the kunoichi laying unmoving, but staring at the male shinobi while he crawled towards her, she'd felt horrible pain. Moriko had walked to the man and lifted him up. Ibiki had watched her in utmost awe as she'd carried him to her side.

"They call you the Red Lotus…?" he'd whispered in her ear.

"Ah," she had nodded.

"Hanabi-chan prefers lilies," he'd confided. As she laid him down, she stared into his dark brown eyes which were directed towards the girl, reminding her of a more familiar pair of black ones than anything, something shining in them that she had only ever seen in Gai's eyes. She wondered what it was, but something in her heart told her that pretending she didn't know was a lie. After only a moment's debate, she turned to her comrade.

"Ibiki, watch them," she said, as she laid him down.

"Moriko what are you doing?" Ibiki had demanded, knowing they had little time, but Moriko didn't pay him any mind. In minutes, she returned with four large lily flowers. She placed them in the now-joined hands of the two dying shinobi, watching as the kunoichi passed and only moments after her shinobi companion.

This was the kind of thing only shinobi really saw and even fewer allowed themselves to feel. She wondered if that would be how she went. Would it be she and her most important comrade there someday? Would they be just barely too weak to finish a fight and die side-by-side with the knowledge that they had given their all and they'd died best friends fighting for their people, for their home. Moriko looked down at her chest, her thin hand finding the small necklace around her throat as she found herself doing more and more often these days as she bit her lip or maybe she'd always done it, but her conversation with Raidou had brought her feelings and her insecurities upon her in double force.

Moriko was feeling incredibly somber had been unable to even force a smile since the start of the mission. It had been the first without Gai in half a year, but when she stood at the edge of the training ground next to a bench, watching Gai who stood blind-folded in the center, Genma and Matsu both attacking without hesitation while he parried them off easily, shouting out words of encouragement and instruction as he went, she had to smile. He was particularly amazing, better than Kakashi she was sure even with the single-tomoe sharingan he bore, a heavy burden to be sure which brought with it a large number of enemies from the clan who would rather die than teach an outsider.

It took less than a few moments before Gai reached up and jerked his headband from its place covering his eyes and ran to her. She braced herself as his strong, muscled body pummeled into her with the full speed of his enthusiasm. She couldn't keep the smile from her face as she wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing herself to be lifted completely off the ground. "Moriko-taicho!" Genma cried, but Gai said nothing. Despite his silence, she knew he was happy to see her. That was evident by the tears she felt upon her still-sweat-soaked neck. It had been a long run and the hokage had gotten them straight in.

"Good to see you back Moriko-san," Matsu said, with a broad grin. She opened her eyes, sending a more muted smile to Matsu who nodded back. Her arms which were wrapped around shoulders relaxed slightly and she placed a hand on the back of his neck. Not taking the hint, Gai continued to cling to her.

"Gai she was gone three weeks!" Genma exclaimed with a laugh. "She's been gone longer before." Gai didn't say a word. He didn't release her, grasping her with all his strength.

"Gai," Moriko said softly. Finally he let out a sigh, lowering her until her feet were firmly planted on their own, though he rested his hands on her ribs for a few more seconds before turning away. Moriko embraced both Matsu and Genma. "The missions was over-ranked," she admitted.

"What did they have it ranked?" Matsu asked with a frown.

"She went with Ibiki so it had to be high. He's one of the best chuunin in the village after all," Genma said. Moriko looked at him sharply to see he was smirking slightly as he glanced to the Gai who had stiffened immediately at the words.

"Ibiki was chosen due to his ability to withstand high levels of pain and other more specific interrogation techniques," she said sharply. Genma shut his mouth, but she knew the damage had been done. "His specialty is different than any other chuunin in the village which made him ideal, but not the best choice in my opinion, though it was important an Uchiha was involved. I have information I must transmit to Fugaku-sama. You can continue your training," she suggested. Genma and Matsu gave her horrified looks.

"I will escort you," Gai said quickly before either of his training comrades could complain.

"Definitely!" Genma said, quickly agreeing.

"You should have someone walk you after returning from a strenuous mission!" Matsu chimed in at the same time. They both knew that Moriko knew they only wished to escape more of Gai's rough treatment, but were hoping she'd let it slide.

"You escape training this time, but we will have a team session tomorrow as soon as the sun begins to rise," she said, her tone low and dangerous indicating she was not pleased with them. Both of their faces fell. Gai was bad, but Moriko really thought out her torturous sessions, Gai's could be led with the proper cues to something easier or at least different if they really tried. Moriko wasn't so easily fooled by their "innocent" suggestions. Moriko led the way towards the Uchiha Compound, but was stopped a few blocks down as Gai's hand encircled hers and pulled her gently to the right. She allowed him to lead her into an alleyway with confusion. Her cheeks took on a rosy hue as she looked down at his hand.

"Moriko, I wish to be trained," Gai said.

"Apparently, you've improved greatly just in the last few weeks. I've told you there is little else that I can teach you. We have to learn together now. It's been that way for a long while now," she said, seriously.

"I want to learn how to be what they need me to be to accompany you on such missions as Ibiki did in my stead," he said. She stiffened, jerking her hand back and looking off to the side.

"Gai, I don't want that for you," she said. "Besides, it was more my accompanying him."

"I don't believe that. You are the jounin," he replied.

"In certain situations rank bears little meaning," she muttered.

"I need to know how to be your second," he said, sounding frustrated.

"My second?" she repeated, blinking owlishly.

"I do not wish to be separated from you on any high-level mission ever again because I was not strong enough!" he exclaimed. She closed her eyes.

"Gai… there is no training that I-"

"I will become strong enough to be able to remain by your side!" he exclaimed.

"Gai-"

"I will never again allow another chuunin such as Ibiki to-"

"GAI SHUT UP!" she shouted harshly, before covering her mouth in shock as his painful look hit her full force. She looked back and forth up the alley to be certain no one was listening in. "There is nothing left that I have to teach you Gai-kun. Surely you can see that?" she whispered. He blinked in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"Gai… you are just as strong as me Perhaps I have more experience as a strategist, but that will come… as soon as the hokage separates us," she said, realizing that that was what the hokage meant to do. It was the most logical course of action.

"I don't want to be separated!" he growled.

"Konoha needs it. You're too strong to be serving under any shinobi," she said. Her face reddened and she felt embarrassment wash over her. She'd been holding onto him for so long she'd hardly realized how much he was doing the same. She should have separated herself from him as a shinobi sooner, before the pain she felt when she went on missions without him had begun affect him so greatly. "Gai, you had to know that someday you would surpass me, that you would surpass everyone. You are a genius of hard work. You can turn any activity into training and you meet every challenge with the utmost enthusiasm and vigor. There is no shinobi who could lead you for very long."

"Moriko, I never want to… I cannot believe I will ever surpass you and I want you to know that despite your words I will fight to remain at your side," he said.

"Who are you going to fight? Me?" she asked.

"If I have to," he frowned, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"Minato?" she questioned.

"Yes," he said without hesitation.

"The hokage?" she pressed one step further. Finally Gai paused, looking at Moriko with a helpless look that she felt deeply. She could see that he was not thinking about it though. He lifted his head and lowered it once in the affirmative, but before he could open his mouth, she quickly covered it shaking her head and sighing heavily.

"Some things should not be said, Gai," she whispered.

"I will protect you, Mori-chan," he said. She stared at him for a long moment before nodding.

"We will see where this world takes us, Gai-kun," she murmured, her hand lingering on his mouth for a moment before she lowered it and started walking forward, keeping a close eye on the Uchiha following them. That was just what she needed, Shisui hearing about her reunion with her teammate. It couldn't be helped though. It wasn't like she could attack the shadow, though the thought had crossed her mind. She looked at Gai, knowing in her heart he was worth it as he stared ahead a very serious expression on his face. He seemed deeply troubled. She wondered what she could do to ease his mind, but something told her that it was out of her hands.

Moriko couldn't argue with him anymore. She felt the same as he. If she had her way, they would never undergo missions without each other, but the missions she took on were rougher than what he was used to and she had spent months trying to block his entrance into the darker side of this war. If she was honest with herself, she'd been trying to protect him from the worst since he joined her team years ago. It was time to stop, to admit that he was stronger than her and didn't need her protection. She had come to the conclusion a few months before and if he'd improved as greatly as the hokage implied in the few short weeks she'd been gone, then it was time for him to join her as jounin and to take on the missions she had been trying to keep him from.

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Moriko glanced at her teammate who was breathing heavily after another round of raucous laughter. She smiled, completely content for the first time in a very long time. There were no impending missions, none of her platoon laid in a hospital bed recovering from their latest mission and best of all, Gai had been promoted today to the rank of Special Jounin. It was almost surreal to think that they were both jounin-level shinobi now. Gai's specialty in Taijutsu had finally brought him to the highest levels of the shinobi ranks along with his best friend.

Moriko was glad he'd made it because it meant that they had finally done it. They'd accomplished what they'd promised each other as kids. They had become top village shinobi and they had done it together every step of the way.

The sun shone down on them, lighting the area with brilliant rays. The war was still raging and though the tide had turned in their favor a couple years back, it was still there in the back of their minds. Sometimes it was healthy to just put it out of ones consciousness at least for a little while. Life was beautiful. Moriko closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. She laid back in the grass, with a sigh.

"I knew we'd be here one day, Mori-chan, but it feels so good to have made it," Gai told her. She opened her eyes to see him lying beside her, his head turned towards her, eyes on hers. The goofy grin on his face was impossibly infectious.

"Training Ground Four?" she asked with a laugh. "How astute of you Gai-kun," she teased. He smiled, reaching over to ruffle her hair as she used to do to him when they were kids. She giggled, batting his hands away. "Of course it was only a matter of time that we took over Kakashi's training ground. Your eternal rival had no chance against our youthful skill and perseverance!" Moriko shouted to the sky.

Gai laughed, enjoying when she spoke of youth. It was his trademark of course but it was important to him. A youthful spirit meant one that was able to see the beauty of the world despite the darkness of reality. It was innocence without the actual helplessness that often accompanied it. To him, it was as important as any other desirable shinobi characteristics, perhaps more so.

"As usual, your false misunderstanding shall be overlooked as you are my first and most important comrade," Gai said graciously, his grin widening further if that was even possible.

Moriko looked back up at the clouds, but Gai's eyes lingered, taking in the planes of her happy and untroubled face bearing an expression so rare these days under the pressure of leading one of the last chuunin platoons of their generation. The others had broken up into separate jounin and chuunin assignments, leaving Moriko's Platoon, officially named Lotus, the most senior for their mission level: usually B though more and more often they underwent A-ranking. Gai loved seeing her relaxed like this: relaxed… happy, something he knew she only was in his presence which made him feel even more important, even more needed.

"I love moments like this," she said softly, her tone light and dreamy. He nodded looking up at the blue sky and enjoying the soft breeze as it blew past them.

"Ah, they are few and far between but the sun's rays will always find a way to shine even through the dark storm-clouds of war," he spoke thoughtfully. To most, his poetic way of sometimes saying things was silly or irritating. It didn't help that they were often shouted or at least spoken in a loud and grating voice. Moriko had never complained, rather encouraged this habit of his. She enjoyed his thoughts and didn't like when he kept them to himself.

Moriko shifted closer so they were shoulder to shoulder and he looked to her again with a more reserved smile, just the slightest upturn of his lips. It was the kind of smile he kept only for his closest friends and almost exclusively Moriko. She was his best friend no… she was closer than that, closer than blood.

"Gai, where do you think we'd be if we never met?" she asked the 15 year old beside her, having been wondering that a lot these last few months. "What if you'd been placed on another team or graduated the next year?"

"Why waste our time on what could have been Mori-chan," Gai muttered. He paused for a moment. "I know that I would not be half what I am today without you," he admitted.

Moriko didn't look at him, knowing that she wouldn't be what she was without her beloved Gai-kun. She closed her eyes, trying to push those thoughts away. Raidou had been right at the Uchiha festival as well as every other time he'd brought the subject up since then. Gai was best off without her trying to change their relationship in that way. He was younger than her. It may have only been a couple years and it may seem like nothing after the eight years they'd spent together, but adding in all that came along with being an Uchiha female, the curse of her shinobi career, he was better off being her comrade, her best friend and most trusted person.

"I know that isn't true Gai-kun," Moriko disagreed, turning her hand beside his and taking hold of it. He gripped it back fiercely. "You would still have become an amazing and awe-inspiring shinobi. You would have become Maito Gai, the great green beast of Konoha and you would have been exactly who you are."

"Which will never be quite enough will it?" he murmured somberly. She frowned, his lack of surety striking her. She hadn't heard that tone since he'd been nine years old, unable to grip the Phoenix Fire Jutsu at which time she'd refused to allow him rest until he performed it, proving him wrong within 14 hours. "I only mean that I will never match you. It's like chasing lightning."

"Gai, you have surpassed me already. How many times must I remind you before you start taking me seriously?" she said, holding his gaze squarely He shook his head with a frown causing her brow to furrow.

Moriko considered for a moment before her hand clamped down on his with a bone-crushing strength so he knew she was serious. She threw herself to her feet, flinging him up over her shoulder and towards the ground in front of her but he spun quickly in her grasp, finding his feet . He pushed her hard backwards, but she flipped quickly getting the ground beneath herself and jumping to tackle him. She shifted to the right slightly when he adjusted to meet her. Instead she barely slipped by him as he expertly used his speed to avoid her. Her hand did catch hold of his wrist, second hand raising in a punch which he ducked easily but her foot followed it. He barely caught it in time.

Gai spent a few more moments on the defensive before finally using his superior strength to grab hold of her. Once he had a good grip, she had little chance. His chakra and his strength locked his grasp in place at her elbow and in seconds he had her pinned beneath him, legs entangled with hers to immobilize them.

Moriko attempted to slip it, but it wasn't just a taijutsu hold. He had employed a full binding jutsu, every inch of his body in contact with hers locking her in place with chakra. Even she was surprised he'd been able to perform those hand signs without her noticing. He chanced raising his head from beside her, judging rightly that she wouldn't go for a head butt in this instance to cause him to lose his chakra holds, though he kept her hands held tightly in his, not wanting to make it too tempting to fight back by giving her free use of her powerful hands. He held them above her head, separated from each other with their fingers laced to prevent any sot of hand sign coming together.

"I told you," she said, her breathing not even disturbed by the rush of movement that had only seconds ago occurred. His dark eyes met hers and he frowned surprised at the blood red hue that met his gaze.

"Not even a Sharingan can best the great Maito Gai," she said, blinking. When her eyes opened they were a soft black once more. They stayed very still, Moriko wondering if he did not notice their prolonged proximity. She felt heat rise in her and as she realized why, her face grew even redder from embarrassment. "Gai," she said softly.

"Moriko," he replied in the same tone. She felt his chakra holds release, but his chakra still hummed over her skin. She closed her eyes trying to control her breathing which had been no trouble after their mini-spar but now after a few moments of being hyperaware of Gai's muscled body pressed tightly against hers she was breathless.

"We ca…" she couldn't finish. She didn't know what to say. His nose touched to hers and she wondered for a moment if he was oblivious of what he was doing right now, but something told her that Gai had realized some things in the last year: things about himself and even some things about her.

"Why?" he asked quietly. She swallowed hard and he leaned towards her but instead of his lips finding hers, his cheek rested against hers and he breathed in deeply. She closed her eyes tightly turning her face towards him until her lips were against his neck. He shuddered slightly as she kissed his skin softly, his hands tightening, hers closing around his in response.

Gai pulled back suddenly, looking down at her for a long moment as if considering something before he dipped his head back down, his lips meeting hers in a soft, sweet kiss. She let out a soft sound and he released one of her hands to bring his down. He cupped her cheek as he deepened the kiss, his lips kneading hers sensually. Her free hand moved to rest on the side of his neck. It was a gentle, slow kiss and compared to her uncomfortable first kiss with Raidou a while ago, it was perfect. When he pulled back he rested his forehead against hers, bringing her hand down with his to place it over his chest. He rolled over and settled next to her again, shoulder to shoulder as they had been before. She felt a bubbling of happiness overcome her again and she laughed lightly, turning slightly to rest her cheek against his shoulder.

"I don't care what they say," he said. "Any of them." The warmth was conflicted as she thought of Shisui. He would try to kill Gai if he ever found out just how much he meant to her and she didn't doubt his ability to badly hurt him though she had the utmost faith in Gai's skill.

"Gai, I think… There's something I need you to understand, something Raidou doesn't think you know or comprehend I suppose. At least… he didn't before," Moriko said softly, nervously.

"I will not let them destroy your chance to be the best kunoichi Konoha has ever seen," Gai said suddenly. She swallowed hard, turning her head to look at him. He stared back at her intensely. "You forget that Raidou underestimates me. I've known and comprehended for years. I'm aware about what the others say and think of me. I may miss some, but not what is important, Mori-chan," he assured her. "Not you." He lifted the hand he still had grasp of to his lips and kissed the back of it before lowering it to hold against his chest once more. His eyes slid closed and she felt a shock of fear, her hand tightening in Gai's. She shifted slightly, leaning her head against Gai's arm. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe it was possible to be safe and happy, but she knew it was not.

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